HOUSE: Episode X
by Anoka Kon
Summary: Hideto Takarai is the most famous singer in all of Japan, and when he finds out that he has a disease that affects his size, there's only one doctor that can save him. House is on the case.
1. Chapter 1

Tick, tick, tick. She looked up at the cat clock on the wall. He would be home soon. The kitchen was filled with the smell of Goya seasoning and meat. He loved meat. He was a carnivorous thing; she knew, and he would love coming home to his favorite meal. She set down her pot in the sink and put on her yellow latex gloves. She had worked hard, cooking for hours, all for this one meal. He had been feeling a bit down lately, so she wanted to cheer him up. Complaints of headaches always filled his mouth, but when she leaned on her toes and kissed him, it all seemed to blow away in the wind.

The day outside was beautiful. Kristiana looked outside the window, her dark brown bangs hanging in her eyes. She noticed a bird as he sat on the deck, looking out at the world around him. She waved a good day to him as he opened his mighty wings and flew towards the trees, vanishing in a thicket of leaves. She had just put her hand on the window to open it when she heard a click.

Her eyes darted towards the front door; her feet and legs moving before her brain even sent the message down to them. She rushed down the stairs, opening her arms. He always liked it when she hugged him home. A dark figure came through the door, locking it behind him. "Kitty I'm-"  
Before he knew it, a young girl had embraced her arms around his chest, taking in his scent. He smiled down on her, stroking her head gently. "How are you?" he asked. His voice was barely English, a thick heavy Asian accent in his throat. She looked up at him and locked his lips quickly. "I'm good! How was your day? Any headaches?"

He sighed, rubbing his head. "Some…. Though I do not know where they come from." She frowned for a second then ran back up the stairs, dragging him with her. "Come on! I made your favorite!" He smiled back at her, his beautiful brown eyes examining the food laid out for him on the table. "You always think of the best things."

"Your English is getting better." She exclaimed, taking the meat from the pan. He cocked his head, still smiling. "I have a good teacher." Kris laughed a clear laugh; he always loved it. She set his food down and took his leather jacket off, revealing the rocker tee shirt he had on underneath. They sat down together.

"When I finish college," she said, her mouth full of rice, "I'm going to buy an actual house. Not rent." He looked at her, his mouth full of steak. He gulped it down and replied "I put some money in the bank today. Eight hundred."

"Really? Wow! That's going to help a lot!" she kissed him lightly. He blushed and set his fork down. "You are something." He said. Kris smiled. "Aren't I always?" she picked at her food. "I can't wait…. I'm so excited!" she looked back at him, her eyes shimmering. "Hideto…" she began. "Will you stay with me? To see that I get that house?" He smiled at her, his heart thumping. A little black box was in his fist, hidden from her view. He fingered it nervously.  
"Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you…." He set down his fork and got wiped his mouth. She watched him questionably, but said nothing. He began to kneel down when a sudden pain in his head stopped him. He grasped his head tightly with both hands, closing his eyes.

"Hideto?" Kris got up quickly, taking his head. "You okay?" Hideto shook his head. "I…. I am… fine… I just… need… some medicine…" he headed over towards the cabinet where the Advils were. As soon as he reached up his hand, another spasm of pain engulfed him, forcing his eyes to dart about; he saw red.

"Hideto!" he was writhing in pain. His head pulsed, and his body felt awkward. His spine felt as if it was being pulled by something. "Hideto? Hideto!" he could feel her arms around him, letting him gently to the floor. "Hideto! Yes, my name is…" he couldn't hear her voice anymore. He couldn't do anything. His body felt like it was being pulled in fourteen different directions. The room was spinning before his eyes. He saw Kris's face, red and flushed, looming over him. "Hideto! Hideto!" he could read her lips. It was the last thing he saw before his world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, entertain me."

His assistant resisted the urge to slap him one. "Male, forty years of age, name Hideto Takarai, born in Wakayama Japan, height five foot ten…." She slipped the yellow envelope into his sight. His eyes looked at it briefly before he shoved it out of his sight. His cane stopped, his head turned to her. "I see no big deal with this guy. What's up?" he asked, his voice dripping with boredom. His assistant looked through his eyes and into his soul, hoping to find something to grasp onto.

She got nothing.

"What is up" she replied hotly, "With this guy is that he's in perfect condition, and yet manages to collapse in his own apartment due to a headache. Explain that." She again shoved the envelope in his direction, hoping that he would take it with his own two hands. Again, she got nothing. Why was she trying again?

"Dehydration. Give him some water and he'll be good as new." His cane began to move again, this time heading for the elevator. It was close to the time that he went home…. Wonder what's for dinner?

"House!"

He heard his name being called. His cane stopped. He turned his head over his shoulder. "What?" he asked, clearly exasperated. He lifted his head and dragged his eyes to the ceiling. "Dr. Hadley, I see no reason for me to give any crap about this patient." He sighed and bent over, looking closely at the tiles on the floor. "Did you know that they seal this stuff with plaster?"  
"House!" she called again, hoping for some connection. "He collapsed when he's healthy. He had just finished eating dinner, his body was hydrated." She folded her arms, unwilling to give up.

The lights above them were dim, and murmurs could be heard through the walls. The hospital was as alive as ever. This was so boring.

House turned to her again, ignoring her reply. "You know, we really should get this checked out. I found a crack." Thirteen tried her best not to shout at him. "What should we do about the patient?" she asked in a clear calm voice. _Must… resist…. Urge… to slap…. _"Give him thirty milligrams of sodium chloride mixture, along with crushed vitamins in his next meal. Have him out of here by tomorrow." House rose from his position and walked out, his cane thumping gently against the white tiled floor. Thirteen breathed a heavy sigh. This was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

Knock. She rose her head from his lap. Her behind was sore from sitting there all night, but the pain wasn't enough for her to stand up and go anywhere. He needed her there, with him, holding his hand, and comforting him. It was scary for both of them. He had just gone and collapsed, without any signal or warning. How could a headache turn into something like this?

Knock. She lifted her tired eyes from the bed and into his eyes. He was looking down at her. "How do you feel?" she asked. "Is the shirt-" He nodded. "You have to get it off soon, or else I will choke on it." She smiled at him. "Don't worry, I will." Her legs lifted her up and off of him. She stumbled from her chair, but managed to make it to the door.

A doctor stood in the doorway. "Hi, Miss…."  
"Takarai." Kris smiled. "You must be Doctor Hadley." Thirteen smiled. "Yes." She looked past the young girl and at the man slouched in the bed before them. "How is he?"  
"He's alright. You've got IV's in his arm, and the sheets are warm, so he's okay." Thirteen looked at her for a moment. There was fear in her voice. "How long have you stayed in this room?"

"All night, I didn't want to leave…. Hide doesn't take well to strangers." Thirteen stepped inside the room and softly closed the door behind them. "I'm just going to check his vitals, if that's alright with you."

Kris looked at Hideto with sincere eyes. He nodded. It would be alright. Thirteen grasped the IV bag in her arm, letting the needle dangle for a second, and then replacing it with a new bag. "Sodium Chloride…" Kris whispered.

"You seem alright. Nothing is out of place. You should go home tomorrow." Hideto looked at her with troubled eyes. However, his mouth did not move. His eyes drifted to Kris, hoping that they would read. "Dr. Hadley?"

Thirteen turned to her. "Yes?" Kris paused for a second. "I don't think Hide should go home tomorrow."

Thirteen was caught off by surprise. "Why not? There's nothing wrong with him. Just a minor case of either dehydration or lack of vitamins. There's no reason that-"

"You don't understand." Kris cut her off, walking to her. "Hide… something happened to him last night." Thirteen put down her writing pad and looked at Kris. Was there something behind this case that even they couldn't figure out?

"He…." Kris paused again. "Look at his shirt." Thirteen reluctantly turned her eyes to Hideto's shirt. It was ripped in some places, especially across his chest and his shoulders. The neck was almost cutting into his skin. This puzzled her for a second. "Why'd he go and buy a shirt like that?"

"That's just it. He… Didn't." Thirteen's mind wandered. The lights inside the room buzzed; she could hear it. There was a slight moan to Kris's voice. She was worried about him, and clearly, if she wasn't, she wouldn't have asked him to stay one more night.

"His height measurement was five ten, was it not?" Kris asked, sitting back down on the chair. Thirteen turned to her again, leaving the white of the bed. "Yes…." She replied, thinking. "Hide… Hide was five six when I met him. A man's growth ends when he's twenty one."

"What are you saying?" Thirteen didn't want to be punked. Nobody under any circumstances (lest for drugs) could gain any height or weight during their later periods in life. Her eyes turned to Hideto himself, who was fingering the sheets lightly. The IV tinkled softly.

Kris sighed. "To put it bluntly: He GREW. Literally." Thirteen almost laughed. She wanted to laugh. How old was this kid?

"How old are you?"  
"Seventeen."  
"And he's forty."  
"And?"  
"Where'd you meet?"  
"Band concert."  
"Which band?"

"His." Kris tucked one leg under the other, letting her foot rest on the chair seat. "You're supposed to be questioning him, not me." Thirteen rubbed her eyes. "You have no proof to your statement." Kris's eyes turned dark. "What do you mean no proof? I saw what I saw last night! Why do you think he collapsed almost after finishing his dinner? He wasn't starving, dehydrated, and he takes a vitamin every morning. We went hiking together just two days ago! What do you mean I have no proof?"

Her voice was smooth, but it had a blade's edge. This girl was good. Thirteen sat back on the chair she was sitting on. Her arms rested at her bosom, crossed. "What do you propose I do then?" she wanted to see how much Kris knew about the situation. Maybe there was something wrong with HER and not Hideto.

Kris bit her lower lip. "Let him stay here. At least for two days." Thirteen rubbed her eyes tiredly. Why did she get stuck with the psycho ward?

"I'll let him stay, but that's only if HE wants to." Kris's ears perked. Her body was suddenly alert. "You're… going to ask him?" Hideto looked at Kris nervously. He was a man of few words, and he wasn't ready to talk to Thirteen.

Thirteen stood up and went to Hideto's bedside, dismissing the chair into the corner of the dimly lit room. She sat down beside him and looked him in the eye. He felt the tension increase.

"You are…"  
"Hideto. Takarai."

He used his best English. He hoped he wouldn't make a fool of himself.

"Mr. Takarai, it's up to you whether you want to stay or not. Your girlfriend has no say in your personal being other then telling us what happened to you last night." Her eyes moved to Kris briefly. "Since she can give us no proof as to the statement that she made earlier, I'm leaving it up to you to confirm what happened."

He paused for a second, letting his thoughts wander. "She is… telling the truth." He stated at last, eyeing Thirteen fiercely. "She would not lie about something like this. I will stay, for two days. After that, I will leave." He turned to Kris again, passion seeping through every fiber of his being. "But I want Kris. To stay with me."

Kris smiled from ear to ear. She jumped up out of her chair and sprang to him, hugging him in the process. He smiled down at her, stroking her head softly.

Thirteen smiled at the happy sight, but wondered if Hideto was actually telling her the truth. "Alright. I'll let you stay. But only for two days." She turned to go out when Kris's voice stopped her. "Can I stay?" Thirteen nodded and looked back at her. "Of course, he loves you obviously, and wants you by his side." Thirteen paused for a second, letting the information soak through her brain. She reached into her pocket.

"Here." Kris took the little black device. "A pager?"

"A personal pager, in case if anything happens while I'm gone. You can call me if there's any emergency." Kris's eyes lighted up. A deep smile spread across her face. "Thank you so much!" she giggled. "Thank you!" Thirteen once again started to go out. As she closed the door behind her, she could have sworn she heard a moaning coming from the room…..


	4. Chapter 4

Midnight came, and as it did, the sound of crows could be heard far in the distance. House lay in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. It had been a boring day, and it was going to be a boring TO-day. He turned over on his side and stared at his little electrical clock. A minute after midnight. His eyes slowly closed, letting his mind wander. He wondered what he would do tomorrow… he had to get that crack fixed.

"Kitty… Kitty…" her ears perked before her eyes even opened up. She could feel his hand on her head, fingers running through her hair. Kris opened her eyes and looked up groggily. Hideto was smiling down upon her, worry in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, stroking her cheek. She smiled and nodded. "I'm more worried about you." She let his hand flow down her neck and back onto the bed. Her eyes drifted over the shirt he wore. It had gotten tighter.

Kris looked at him, not daring to speak. Hideto looked away, pushing down his anguish and fright. "I…. I could feel it last night…" he stated, murmuring. "I did not want to wake you up, so I just dealt with it myself."

"But…" she took his hand. "You should have told me, sweetie." She hugged him once again, inhaling his scent.

He patted her back and held onto her lovingly. "I did not want to wake you, you were sleeping so beautifully… like an angel." She looked up at him, love in her eyes. "Oh Hideto I-"

She stopped. She had felt something. Hideto let go of her and put a hand to his collar. "The shirt…" he looked down at the stretch on his chest. It had gotten tighter. His breathing began to hurry. "Kris…"

Even before he could say anything she ran to her bag over in the corner of the room and grabbed the scissors.

He felt it getting tighter and tighter. He began to pull at the neck of his shirt, trying to tear it open. He could feel himself rising… everything around him was getting farther and farther away. His chest pushed and pushed, and eventually the shirt could take no more, and it ripped open, exposing his beautifully cut body.

He quickly tore off the rest of the shoulders and body, but the neck of the shirt was too small to rip apart. Hideto feared that he would soon be suffocating.

"Hide!" quick little fingers wrapped around his neck as the collar was cut open, enabling his throat to expand. He breathed in, letting the air rush to his lungs. He was so thankful for her.  
She sat in his lap, scissors in hand, looking up at him. He had grown through his shirt, and was now much more large then before. The bed creaked.

"Hideto… are you okay?" Hideto could only look into her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as if he would never let go. "Thank you.." he whispered. "I love you…" She smiled. "I love you too." Her mind was racing with thoughts. She had to help him… but how?


	5. Chapter 5

Dr. Hadley came in that morning depressed and tired. It hadn't really been a fitful sleep she had. Her phone kept ringing about this patient needing medication and that patient needing immediate diagnosis. She yawned as she walked through the white clad doorways and into the hospital. She had parked her car right outside the doors, so that when the day ended, she could easily escape this hell with one swift jump inside her car.

She glanced at the papers in her hand. Her clipboard was flapping up and down as she walked through. "Good morning Dr. Hadley!" said the desk attendant. "Morning." She managed to grumble.

Hadley looked through her schedule, and surprisingly, the only patient she really needed to attend to today was Hideto. This ought to be easy. _All he needs is a medical release form and he's out of my hair. _

Then she remembered the small girl's face. She wanted Thirteen to help her. She was crying for help, her eyes were so sad. Thirteen sighed and walked on. There was nothing she could do. The patient wasn't even diagnosed with anything medical. Thirteen wondered whether it was worth the trip.

As she passed through the doors of the section Hideto was in, she was greeted with looks of concern. Many nurses passed her by and gave her the 'up and down' look. What was going on? Thirteen swiftly made her way to Hideto's room and sat down on the nearest chair, not even bothering to look up.

"Alright Mr. Takarai, I have a medical release form for you to sign and-"  
"Dr. Hadley?"

Thirteen was interrupted by a female voice. She sighed to herself and looked up, not wanting to hear what the girl had to say. "Yes, what-" she stopped.

Thirteen stared at the bed. It was bent. BENT. _They're not supposed to…_ As her eyes moved upwards, she saw that Hideto was shirtless. He didn't dare to look at her, the shame in his mind was bad enough.

"What… what…" she couldn't even form words. Her mind decided to go with the straightforward route. "Why isn't he… wearing a shirt?" even this was hard to say. Hideto had changed. He had done just what Kristiana had told her he did on the night they bought him in.  
"Dr. Hadley, please don't beat around the bush." Kristiana walked up to her, looking at her intently. "Please, just tell me what's making him grow so much." Thirteen didn't even know what to say. She was just as flabbergasted as any of the other nurses she had previously seen.

"Uh…"

Hideto began to get up. He easily removed the IVS attached to his arm and began to undo the bedsheets. "Hideto!" Kris ran over to him, trying to calm him down. "Hideto please, you've been up three times already, just rest until the doctor says you're going to be okay!"

He looked down at her softly. "They do not know anything." Was all he said. He placed a hand on the bed, pushing himself upwards. The bed creaked beneath his weight. Kris looked at Thirteen for some sort of help.

Thirteen thought quickly. "Mr. Takarai, perhaps you should get a measurement." Hideto stopped for a moment and looked at her, both surprise and confusion in his face. She continued to speak. "Mr. Takarai, it's unwise if you try to move while you're in that condition. What will happen if you…" she swallowed, the thought becoming an actuality in her mind. "Burst through the roof?"  
Hideto sighed a little, looking at both her and Kristiana. Kris looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, just do as she says!" Hideto smiled softly and rubbed the top of her head with his now humoungous palm. "For you."

He sat down again on the bed, making it creak once again. Kris breathed a sigh of relief as Thirteen quickly dropped her pad and ran over to him. She closely examined him. He was certainly bigger then before. Thirteen, when she stood, was eye level to him, when he sat. Then again, the bed WAS raised off the ground a little. She briefly looked down. _Not for long… _  
"Can you tell us what's wrong?" Kris asked, coming closer. Thirteen murmured to herself before turning around to meet the young girl's eyes. "I'll… need to run a diagnostic test." She faked a smile as her pearly white teeth showed. "Don't worry, everything's going to be okay." _At least… I hope so…_


	6. Chapter 6

Thump. Thump. A nurse turned around quickly and ran in the other direction. He wasn't happy today. House thumped his cane down the hallway as he walked, informing everyone and their mother that he wasn't happy, and if HE wasn't happy, nobody was going to be happy.

"D-Doctor, we have a-"

"WHAT?" House practically yelled at her. "I am tired, sleepless, and hungry. Someone get me a freakin' sandwich!" the nurse, tears in her eyes, ran from his sight, screaming for someone to fetch him a sandwich. House sighed. All he wanted was some goddamn sleep… was that to FREAKIN much to ask? He plopped himself down on the couch in his room, ready for a nap. A frightened nurse knocked on the glass door to his office. He glared up at her. "If anybody asks, I'm dead." He turned himself around, getting in a comfortable position. The nurse stepped back, a hand over her mouth. She was actually more frightened of what was going in the next room then House…

"If you please." Hideo stood up and spread his arms out. He towered over her now, and Thirteen dared not to look up at him. She kept her voice calm and cool, even though the thought of him hurdling her out the window and onto the pavement below screamed like mad in her head.  
She examined his arms. No abnormalities to be seen, and his body wasn't getting any fatter. His chest remained beautifully cut, his arms chiseled, and his stomach flat. Thirteen was curious as to how exactly this growth worked. It didn't seem to hinder him in any way, and it seemed as if he wasn't in pain either. He hadn't complained about pain since she had gotten there… perhaps he was hiding it?

"Doctor…" Thirteen heard the little voice behind her. Kris was standing behind her, her eyes tired and a look of worry written all over his face. "How…" she could barely say it. "How big is he?"

Thirteen sighed and put away her stethoscope. She pressed two fingers upon her throbbing temples. "You can put your arms down." Hideto let his arms down carefully, as to not frighten the doctor. He bent his head to look at Kris.

"It's hard to say without an exact measurement." Thirteen finally replied, taking Hideto's wrist in her hand. Her hand barely wrapped around his wrist now. She looked at her watch and counted in her head. "…. Pulse rate is normal." She took out her pad again and wrote some notes down, keeping an eye on the patient. He hadn't smiled at her, or even spoken to her during his entire testing.

"Well…" Thirteen put down the pad and looked at Kris, who was still standing there, waiting for her. "Why don't we do another height check? Just to be sure." Kris nodded, rubbing her eyes. Thirteen averted her gaze and swiftly walked over to the measuring board. The farthest the measuring board measured up to was about six and a half feet in height, starting from the bottom.  
"Mr. Takarai, please if you could-"

She didn't even have to finish her sentence before he stepped up to the board and placed his back to the wall. He straightened his back and looked straight ahead, being sure to keep his neck parallel. Thirteen swallowed again and looked up at the board. A startled cry escaped her throat. "He…" Hideto looked down, worried. "Am I… going to be okay?" he asked hesitantly.  
Kris was now stepping towards him. "Doctor… what's wrong with him?" she asked, practically screaming her words. Thirteen put a hand over her mouth and shook her head. Impossible.. impossible!

Hideto growled. "They do not know anything!" he said angrily, looking down at the doctor. "We have wasted our time!" Kris shook her head. "No, no Hide! Please!"  
Hideto took a step towards them, glaring at Dr. Hadley. Thirteen swiftly began to talk, her mind racing. "You're seven feet tall!"

Her words made him stop. His brain took a moment to register what she said. If her words were true, then that meant that he was over one meter in height. Nobody had ever reached over one meter in height… at least, none that he knew of. Words poured out of his mouth: word vomit. "I… I…" he put his hands on his head, shaking it. "No… I… I can't be…" he turned around, gazing at the wall. The board stopped at his shoulders. His eyes widened in fear. How far was he from the ceiling? Hesitantly, he raised his eyes to the ceiling, and his greatest fear was confirmed. Hideto placed his hand flat upon the ceiling, not even having to reach up to it.  
Kris's eyes softened. "Oh… Hide…" Hideto lowered his head, his mind numb. He couldn't even comprehend what was happening to him. "Why…" he asked softly. "Why… why is this happening to me?" he turned to Kris and looked down at her, his eyes worried. "What will happen to me?" he wondered aloud. Kris slowly grasped her arms around him, now only able to reach his stomach. "Oh Hide…"

Thirteen stared at them. She blinked quite a few times before the spectacle arranged itself into her head. They were in love. They were in love, and there was nothing she could do to separate them. Kristiana was willing to do anything for him, even if it meant giving up her own life and blood, and Hideto was always going to love her, for who she was, and what she meant to him. She stared at the two as they hugged in passion. She smiled to herself.

"Mr. Takarai, you must be hungry." Hideto stopped from his hug and looked up at her. "Yes…" he replied. "I…" he paused. "I haven't eaten since Kris…" Thirteen nodded. "I understand. Does soup sound good?" Hideto watched in silence as the doctor began to write down some more notes on her notepad. "Mrs. Takarai, I assure you. You did the right thing." _What am I saying? I don't even know if I can help him! _

Thirteen smiled briefly at Kris, making her heart warm. "You've come to the right people. If there's anybody who can help your husband, it's us." Kris's eyes filled with joy. "Dr. Hadley… thank you! Thank you so much!" she smiled and bowed. "Thank you!"

A sharp cry of pain ended the happy moment. Since Hideto was still hooked up to his heart rate machine, the readings began to rise rapidly, and the machines began to bleep horribly. The sounds of alerts sounded through the air. Hideo was clutching his head, bent over in pain.  
Kris stroked his head, kissing him. "Hide! Hide!" she was screaming. Hideto was shaking in pain, his body throbbing.

Thirteen's ears seemed to go deaf. Kris was screaming at her to get something, but she couldn't find out what it was. All she knew was that the machines were acting up, and that it was her duty as a doctor to shut them down by aiding the patient. Unfortunately, the world had seemed to move slowly. She didn't know what to do, and she wasn't about to make a mistake, not this late in her career.

"D… h…Dr…. he…" muffled. That's all there was. Just muffled sounds. Thirteen shook her head.

"Dr. Hadley! Help! Please!" Kristiana was still screaming at her, and she was holding Hideto by his head. Hideto was groaning in pain, and the machines were going out of control. Hadley's body seemed to be frozen.

It was then that a rip was heard. Hideto looked down. His pants had indeed shrunk on him, and they were barely holding on. NOW, though, he was growing out of them. Again.

"Kris… Kris…" he held onto her, somehow hoping that she had the magic to make his body stop. "Help me…" he muttered, holding her. Kristiana shook her head. "Just calm down Hide… there's nothing I can do besides try to comfort you." Hideto looked at her and smiled softly. "You always know how to make me feel better…."

Slowly, his body began to rise. Thirteen stood back from him in shock. This was impossible! Impossible! Hideto slowly released Kris as his body expanded. His legs were getting too thick for the skinny jeans he was wearing. Eventually, the ripping sound in the room became too loud for anyone to really not take notice. The jeans began to rip at the sides, as Hideto's legs pushed through. The sewing came off, and eventually, they were torn to shreds, falling peacefully on the floor.

Hideto immediately covered his crotch as his body continued to rise. Eventually, his head hit the roof, giving off a low thud. He hunched over and rubbed his head, his body still growing.  
"This is…" Thirteen was at loss for words. The man was beginning to get too big for the room itself!

At this point, a hord of nurses had rushed to the door, but seeing Hideto grow… they decided it would be better if they did not enter. Thirteen took three steps back towards them. She gazed at their frigthened faces.

Hideto crouched down now, his body too big to fit comfortably inside the room. Kris was right beneath him, holding his hand. Hideto looked at her, love eminating from his eyes. His body was stopping its' growth spurt, and eventually, it slowed down. Hideto looked down at Kris from his new height, still trying to get used to being so big. His back was hunched, and he had to sit down to fit. If he had stood up straight, his torso would've taken up the entirety of the room's height.  
He was naked now, his clothes on a pile on the floor. He crossed his legs in an attempt to cover himself, which resulted in pressing Kris up against him. Hideto turned red. "Kris! I… I'm sorry…" he hurredly uncrossed his legs so Kris could get out. She leapt over his leg and held onto his arm, which was like a tower to her. "Hideto…" Kris wrapped her tiny arms around his elbow, pressing her head into it.

Hideto looked down at her sadly. "Kris…" he sighed, at loss for words. He folded his legs so that he was covered and reached out to take the sheets off of the bed that was now pushed to the other side of the room. He gently picked them up and covered his crotch more; now nothing could be seen.

Hideto then turned his gaze towards the nurses and doctors that had piled up into the doorway. They had seen his growth. He knew what this meant. He swallowed, looking down at Kris. He was now a medical mystery.


	7. Chapter 7

Hideto sighed. The nurses still stood there, their eyes filled with fright and fear. His neck was beginning to hurt…

"Hide?" he looked down at the tiny girl. Her voice barely reached up to him. "Yes love?" he replied, trying to be as gentle as possible. Kris smiled up at him weakly. "You grew again…" Hide smiled down at her, his eyes softening. "It didn't feel as painful as the other times." He slowly leaned down as much as he could and kissed the top of her head. His lips were hot and moist, and were big enough to swallow her entire head. Kris smiled and patted his cheek. "You're going to be okay." She said reassuringly.

Kris turned her gaze to the nurses around the room. They had come in now, taking in the sight before them. One nurse in particular returned, panting and half crying. "He said he was dead!"  
This caused an immense commotion. "WHAT?" screams of protest rang from everywhere. Kris turned back to Hideto, who was trying to upright the table he had toppled over. His huge hands picked up the table gingerly, placing it back on its' feet. It was so light and small… it barely fit in his hand. Kris reached up and kissed his chest, a warm feeling spreading over him. Hideto patted her on the head gently, and smiled.

Thirteen turned to them both, her eyes taking in Hideto's huge form. He was so big… how could this be possible? This wasn't normal… she needed scans, diagnostic testing, blood samples!  
"Dr. Hadley?" Thirteen snapped out of her daze and stared at Kris. "Yes, Mrs. Takarai?" Kris smiled softly. "I think Hide needs some clothes." Thirteen looked past the girl and at the gigantic man sitting on the floor, his back pressed upon the ceiling. He smiled half-heartedly at her, meeting her gaze. "I suppose so…"

The nurses were cleared out of the room, and Thirteen was to be held responsible for all of Hideto's actions, as well as his well-being. The first problem they had to tackle was the matter of getting him clothes to wear. Thirteen couldn't figure out any possible solution to the matter until one of the nurses offered her services. She had happened to work as a seamstress back in her college days and was hoping to make some clothes for the now naked Hideto. He had thanked her profusely for the clothes she made him, for they were exactly to his liking. They were black, and they covered his body well. A simple tee shirt and black jeans were sewn together in a matter of four hours, taking the work of nearly all the nurses in the hospital.

Hideto was glad to have some clothes on now, and his dignity was saved from being more shattered then it already was. One problem solved, and many more to counter. There was also the problem of feeding him. Since he was so big, he needed the equivalent of at least eight men, if not more. Hideto hadn't eaten since the day he got to the hospital, so when given the chance, he ate like mad. Kris was the one telling everyone what he liked and to get him as much food as he needed. At one point, there didn't seem to be enough food for him, but luckily enough, Hideto was a simple eater, and ate only until he was satisfied.

Thirteen rubbed her temples again, now sitting on a bench outside the room where the two lovers were. She sighed and took another sip of her coffee. _They needed to put more caffeine in these things…_ This was her sixth cup this hour. There had to be a reason.. she thought to herself, there HAD to be a reason for his growth, a reason for this! She looked down into the cup and swirled her coffee, thinking. What was going to happen to him when he got too big to fit in the hospital? The swirling stopped. He already was. He was already too big to fit in that room. Thirteen recalled as Hideto pulled his shirt over his head, barely getting it on because of the room he had. He had to lay down in order to get his pants on, and he didn't even bother with his shoes.

She twitched her nose and leaned back against the wall. She needed help. There was no way she could handle this case on her own. She needed someone to help her… but House was out of the question. He claimed he was dead. Thirteen stood up. She was going to go see how Hideto was doing.


	8. Chapter 8

She smiled and laughed. Hideto chuckled as well. His fingers were wrapped around her tiny waist, lifting her up and down. Kris giggled with delight as Hideto lifted her up to his face, and nuzzled her belly with his nose. She squealed. Hideto had a happy smile on, glad for this opportunity to take his mind off things for a while.

As he set Kris back down, she ran to his chest and spread her arms out as far as she could, embracing as much of his skin as she possibly could. Hideto smiled down at her, patting her head and stroking her back. "I think…" he began. "I think you look very cute. Being tinier then me." Kris looked up at him with loving eyes. "You think so?" Hideto nodded, still smiling. "Yes…"  
Kris smirked at him and unbuttoned her top. Hideto blushed. "Here?" he asked. "What if I-"  
"You won't. I KNOW you won't." her top slowly came off as his eyes darted down to her chest. She was so perfect… His fingers instinctively found their way and slowly, the caressing began. His heart began to beat with emotion, and he could feel her tiny form beneath his massive fingers. It didn't matter that she was so much smaller then he was, all he cared about was still being able to feel them.

Kris smiled and was about to take his hand when they both heard steps coming down the hallway. Hideto quickly removed his hand as Kris struggled to get her top back on. "Here." Hideto held her firmly as he forced the shirt back through her arms and onto her chest. He even buttoned her top for her. Kris smiled at him, glad that he was here with her. Hideto smiled back, his eyes locking onto hers.

Thirteen entered the room, her heels claking on the tiled floor. She stared up at Hideto, not sure of what to say. She certainly didn't want to anger the giant… but she didn't want to lie to him either. "Well…" she cleared her throat. "The diagnostic testing seems to have come out negative… there's nothing wrong in terms of blood or disease." Hideto's head hung low. "Dr. Hadley…" he said, finally addressing her. "No matter what happens to me.. promise me that… Kris will not be affected by this outcome."

Thirteen stared at the man. He was sincere in his words. He truly loved her. Thirteen smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah." Kris nodded and rubbed her eyes. She was still tired. Hideto breathed and began to wrap his fingers around her waist again.

"Mr. Takarai!" Thirteen cried out. Hideto stopped and looked up at her, puzzled by her sudden outburst. Again, Thirteen paused and cleared her throat. "I uh… I think we need to talk. Alone."  
Hideto's face suddenly turned fierce. He ushered Kris closer to him with his hand, pressing her against his chest. He glared at Hadley, his eyes shining with fury. "What is it that you must say to me that you cannot say to her?" he asked, his voice sharp.

Thirteen wasn't sure how to respond. Her body was frozen with fear. With one little pinky, he could easily send her flying through the doors. Heck, he could've broken out of here if he truly wanted! But what kept him at bay was her. Kristiana. She was the one who calmed him down, and comforted his troubled heart. Thirteen knew that in order to gain Hideto's trust, she must first learn to gain Kristiana's trust, and this trust was not easily gained.

"Hide…" she called up to him softly. Hideto's eyes softened as they drifted down to his wife. She smiled up at him lovingly. "It's alright. I trust her. She won't do anything to you. I promise." Hideto began to protest, but his mouth closed. He merely nodded, taking his hand away from her. Kris backed up to meet his face, and smiled. "Come here." Hideto obediently leaned down, as Kris touched his lips with hers. He smiled gently and straightened back up, ushering her towards the door. "I will be okay."

As Kristiana passed by Thirteen, Hadley could hear her whispering into her ear. "If you mess this up, Dr. Hadley," her voice was sharp as a sword. "Then I will have no choice but to send him after you." And with that, her footsteps died out as she exited the room, leaving the both of them to talk.

Thirteen gulped. This was it. She had to tell him her plan. Of course the nurses wanted to run diagnositic tests until he was nothing more then skin and bones, and they wanted him for experiments. What kept her from going to them, was the love that she saw Hideto and Kris share. Their love was unconditional, and they wanted each other, no matter what. Kris would never let science get the best out of him. Never.

Hideto looked at Hadley, intent in his eyes. He waited while Hadley gathered her thoughts. Thirteen wasn't sure how to begin, but she started off anyways.

"How's the food?"  
"Fine."  
"How do you feel?"  
"Same."  
"Do you need anything?"  
"No."

At this point, she was getting nowhere. She was just buying her time. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Kris was standing near the desk attendant, talking to her. Thirteen breathed again, taking in cool fresh air. "Mr. Takarai…" she began again, thinking. "I need to ask you…"

Hideto lowered his head to meet her gaze. "Yes?" he asked, half in curiosity and half in boredom. Thirteen swallowed. "What I'm trying to say is… you need to get out of here."  
Hideto's eyes widened a bit. "What?" he wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. Thirteen looked away and licked her lips. Nervousness made its' way into her chest. This was MUCH harder then she had planned. "The nurses… and doctors… you're a medical mystery!" she blurted out her words, against her doctor code. "They want to perform experiments upon you! Shred you up! Take your blood! Everything! They don't care if you're human or not! They just want to- AAAHH!"

Thirteen hadn't realized that Hideto had wrapped his fingers around her waist and was pulling her up to his face. She opened her eyes in fright, she wasn't used to being man-handled. Hideto was glaring at her. "Tell me," his breath whisked her hair and caused her to gasp.

"You are planning this too, were you not?" he asked, his eyes still raging. Thirteen shook her head in fear, unable to speak. Hideto growled at her. "Then what? How do you know this?" he didn't seem at all afraid that he might hurt her, but SHE was. He could crush her at any moment, and that would be it. Good bye Dr. Hadley.

"T-the… N-Nurses…" her voice was weak, and her body trembled under his massive fingers. "T-they… were talking… a-and… they said that… the doctors… w-wanted to drug… you and put you to sleep… s-so then that way… t-they could… have their way with you."

Hideto's eyes enraged even further. Thirteen could feel his grip on her tighten, his fingers crushing her sides. She cried out in pain, trying to force his fingers off of her. Of course, her resistance was futile. He glared at her, practically spitting out his words. "And you were going to let them.. were you not?" Thirteen could feel her mind slipping… her breaths were short and rasp.

Then, as if something snapped, Hideto's eyes softened. "Dr…." his voice trembled, and his grip loosened. Thirteen breathed in the air, having never been so thankful to be able to breathe in her entire life.

Hideto held her gently in his hand, this time, his fingers loosely holding her. "Dr. Hadley…" he looked down, and averted her gaze. His anger was gone, and in place of that, fear overtook him. "I… I am sorry…" he murmured, looking back at her. "I… I do not know my own strength…" he set her back down softly, taking care to make sure she was stable before he retreated his hand.  
His hands flew to his face, covering it. "Please… don't let them take me away… I cannot live without Kristiana… she is… she is…" his body seemed to shake a little, causing the room to rumble.

Dr. Hadley was surprised as well as shocked. _He's scared.. he's scared of himself…_ She realized that he was just scared, scared for himself and scared for his love. What she had said to him didn't make him feel any better either. "Mr. Takarai…" she didn't want to hurt him more then he already was. "I assure you…" she breathed in heavily. "I will not allow Kristiana to be taken away from you. You two…" she smiled a bit. "There's something about you two that reminds me of myself."

Hideto took his hands away from his face, and looked down at her in confusion. Thirteen smiled back at him, for the first time, seeing him as just another guy. "I'll tell you the plans later. For now, I have to go make a few phone calls." Thirteen turned on her heels and began to walk out the door when something held onto her arm. She turned her head over her shoulder, and realized that Hideto was the one holdling her arm. He held it gently, but firmly between his index and thumb. "I will try not to make noise." Thirteen gave a slight gasp at his words. Hideto nodded and took his hand away. "I trust you Dr. Hadley." He smiled at her. "Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

Kris sighed and leaned her head down upon her hand, which was rested on her elbow, which was propped up upon the desk attendant's space. The woman behind the desk turned to her. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked. Kris turned to her, her eyes tired and wanting to sleep.

"No… No it's alright…" the desk attandant smiled gently. "Here." Before she knew it, Kris was presented with a cup of tea. She inhaled the warming scent as it drifted into her nose. "Thank you." The woman continued to smile. "I've seen women like you. You're always around for your husbands…" she leaned in close. "Is he cute?"

Kris smiled back at her. "He's simply beautiful…" she took a sip of her tea, her body instantly warming and drifting to sleep. The woman nodded. "Why don't you go back inside? I thought I heard something." Kris nodded back, her tea in her hand. "Thank you…" the woman waved her out. "No problem. After all," she giggled. "We women have to stick together, right?"

The door opened, and Hideto raised his head. His eyes gleamed blissfully. "Kristiana?" Kris came in warily, shutting the door. "Hey," she said tiredly. Hideto smiled at her and reached out his hand, ushering her towards him. "Hey… are you sleepy?" he asked her gently. Kris nodded, sipping at her tea. From the corner of her eye, she saw Dr. Hadley staring at them, watching with a smile. "What's happening tonight Hide?" Kris asked, burying her head in his hand. Hideto smiled down at her, stroking her beautiful black hair. "Tonight, I escape."

Dr. Hadley had closed the door. Hideto and Kris were still in each others' arms, letting their love get the best of them.

"What will happen Hide?" Kris asked finally, looking up at him. Hideto looked back down at his love. "When what happens?" he replied back.

"What will happen… to you? I can't take care of you… and your band… you're too big to perform on stage… how will we live? We'll have to live off of your parents or my parents or…"  
A giant finger pressed against her lips silenced her. "There, there." He said, smiling. "We will work something out. I promise."

Kris was worried, he could see that much. Hideto felt as if he was a burden to her. Here she was, trying to study for her tests and exams, and then he had to go and grow like this. He hated himself for putting such a hard task on his one and only life. He lifted her head with his finger. "Fear not… for no matter what happens, we will always be together." His words finally snapped her final nerve.

It started slow, but then, Hideto could hear it. His eyes widened. The tea cup fell to the floor and splashed onto the tiles, making a complete mess. His gaze was still upon her though. Kris had her hands to her face, and her voice was shaking. Little shudders came from her body.

"K…" his voice was soft. "Kristiana?" he had never seen her this way before. "Kristiana… what's wrong?" as he leaned down furthur, he saw tiny dew drops leaking from her cheek. She was crying.  
His heart leapt. "Kristiana!" he reached down and took her hands away from her face with one finger. She was still looking away. Her cries were loud now, and she was sobbing.

"Oh Kris…" he looked down at her sadly. "Please… don't cry…" Kris continued to sob, her throat choking. "I'm so worried… I'm so worried that… I won't be able to take care of you… and then… you'll have to leave me…" she choked out, gasping.

Hideto shook his head sofltly. "Kristiana… I will never leave you. No matter how big or… or monstrous I become… you will always be my one and only love. And I will stay by your side… forever."

Kris looked up at the giant face that was him. "Hideto…" she embraced his hand, crying into his palm. "Hide…" she sobbed, her tears running down his fingers. He smiled at her, wiping her tears away with his finger. Kris felt warm fingers wrap around her waist, and she was softly lifted upwards.

Hideto laid his body down, curling his legs to fit inside the room. He lay on his back, and placed Kris on his chest, holding her steady with his palm.

"Hide…" it was at this moment that she understood how big he had become. Fear overtook her body. He could crush her, eat her, and use her as a plaything. All at once, the emotions came back, and her tears flowed heavily.

Hideto wiped her tears away again, his hand falling gently upon her back. "Kris… please… there is nothing to worry about." He said smoothly, rubbing her back with his finger.

She cried into his chest, feeling his heart beat underneath her. Hideto sighed and closed his eyes. Softly, a melody struck out from his throat, and floated into her ears. Her tears were slowing down.

"_I lie awake beside the windowsill,  
Like a flower in a vase  
A moment caught in glass.. Mmm  
The rays of sunlight come and beckon me..  
To a sleepy dreamy haze, A sense of summer days.. aa..  
If only I could stop the flow of time  
Turn the clock to yesterday  
Erasing all the pain.. mm,  
I've only memories of happiness  
Such pleasure we have shared, I'd do it all again..  
This scenery is evergreen  
As buds turn into leaves  
the colours live and breathe  
This scenery is evergreen  
Your tears are falling silently…" _

Hideto trailed off, his voice ringing in Kris's ears. She felt at peace once again. He would never hurt her. Not in a million years. It didn't matter that he was four times her size, his heart was the only thing she cared about. She nuzzled his chest, her breathing slowing down. "How long.." she yawned. "How long is it… until…"  
Hideto smiled at her, rubbing her back gently, and finally covering her with his palm. "It'll be a few hours… but I will wake you…" he sighed, leaning his head back upon the metal floor. A smile spread across his face as he drifted into a sleep with the one he loved the most.

author's note: The insert song is Evergreen By the japanese artist HYDE. you can find it on youtube, and on veoh.


	10. Chapter 10

The door creaked open slowly. A familiar face sat at the table, his hands folded and his elbows propped upon the glass table. The conference room was chilly, and the people inside weren't giving it a warm feeling either. Thirteen swallowed as she approached the seated assistants, taking care not to make too much noise.

"Hadley, what is this about?" the tired man rubbed his eyes. "It's two in the freakin' morning, and you called us out because-"

"It's urgent." Was all she said. Chris Taub rubbed his eyes again. A man of respect and admiration, the plastic surgeon on the team, he was in no position to be making any decisions at two in the morning. His hair was already balding, and he couldn't stand being out this late at night… er… morning.

"I know it's urgent, but what does it have to do with us?" he asked again, letting his tie rest on the desk. His tired eyes examined the team of doctors around him, as his brain screamed for his body to sleep.

"I have to agree," said the black man in the corner of the room. He was there as well, as a part of Doctor House's diagnostic team. A man of great skill, he worked closely with all of the staff, having the background of a delinquent, he could easily wean out liars and misbehaving patients. He was a man of force, and a man whose past is known by almost no one on the diagnostic team. Eric Foreman: Dr. Eric Foreman.

"I understand why you're all upset," Hadley replied, scanning around the room at her old comrades, "But you must understand, we have a situation on our hands that threatens not only the patient, but the city as well."

"What could possibly be THAT dangerous that couldn't wait till morning?" asked the youngest one in the group. The sexy blonde waved back his chin length hair and felt his almost five o'clock beard. He should've been sleeping, but as a part of the diagnostic team, when duty calls, get your ass up and out of bed. The doctor of curious diseases, he was the one that had the cheery attitude that helped to keep everyone in their sane state of mind. At this moment though, he was dressed in a plain tee shirt with only jeans and sneakers on. He grabbed whatever was in the closet and went. There was no reason for this…

"Hadley, what's this about?" another blonde asked. She was a woman, probably in her mid forties, or late thirties, but she wasn't about to let age catch up to her. She had her arms folded across her chest, and she was staring at Hadley, her eyes intent. This physician was the head of the department in the ER, and was once the temporary dean of medicine. She knew her stuff, and she was willing to shove it into people's faces if they let her. Her blue eyes traced her co-worker. Her name was Allison Cameron. "Hadley…"

Hadley brushed aside her brown hair. "Look," she said, sitting down at last in the corner. "I… we…" she rephrased, "Have a situation on our hands…" she swallowed, not knowing if the others would actually believe her.

"Dr. Hadley, I assure you, there is nothing that we can't handle." Dr. Chase smiled at her. He wanted to impress Dr. Cameron. "I'm sure that whatever it is can wait till mor-"

"It CANNOT wait till morning!" all of the diagnostic team turned to look at her. She had outburst, a wave of emotion and rage had built up in her so badly that she could no longer take it. And with House claiming he was dead well… these were the only people she could rely on.  
She breathed in, taking control over herself. "Sorry…." Dr. Taub leaned forward. "I understand that you believe that you cannot handle the situation, but I do recall that one patient that had the"  
"This isn't like that." Hadley sighed again. "I don't know how else to explain it to you…" she licked her lips, nervous. "Just…"

Dr. Foreman leaned forward, his white shirt pressing up against the glass table. "Hadley… what's wrong? Is it a relationship problem?"

Hadley practically lunged at him. "No!" she said hastily. "I told you…" she sighed and stood up. "This isn't going to sound…" she paused, thinking of the right words. She walked over to where her clipboard lay, and read it again. The other doctors watched in no interest. They were still mad about her calling them out this late at night.

She cleared her throat, and proceeded to speak. "Name: Hideto Takarai. Forty years of age. Came in two days ago due to a collapse on his kitchen floor. His girlfriend bought him in, worried and practically carrying him to the emergency room…" she paused, letting the information absorb in their minds.

"His height when I first checked him, was a healthy five feet ten inches." Dr. Taub leaned back on his chair. "Diagnostic proves negative. I don't see what the big deal is. Does he have any symptoms? Any… sort of rash or something?"

Hadley shook her head. "That's the unbelievable part. He's… still healthy… but…" she didn't know how to put it in words. Maybe what Kristiana said would suffice…

"Hadley… what's going on?" Dr. Cameron raised her eyebrows. "You've obviously been beating around the bush, so just tell us straight up. What's the problem? IS there a problem?"  
Hadley breathed in a deep breath. This was hard. She put a single hand on the glass table, looking at the other doctors. "If you will… all of you, come with me." Without another word, she left the room, leaving them to only wonder.

"Guess we should follow her." Dr. Chase got up and began to follow his co-worker. Dr. Taub yawned. "Yeah, maybe it might lead to me getting to bed sooner…"

Hadley stopped in front of the room, and awaited the others. They were tired, and sluggish, hardly picking up their feet when they moved. Hadley clicked her heel and sighed. They would definitely believe her now.

Dr. Chase, always first to question, was of course, the first to ask a question. "So, Hadley," he said, smiling. "You driving us on a ghost hunt or what?" he asked, smirking at her.

Hadley's eyes narrowed. "This is a serious matter, and unless we do this quickly, we will have no time left. And then….it will be too late." With one swift move, she opened the blinds to the room's window to her right. The other doctors looked at each other curiously. Was she for real?  
"Please… just look." Dr. Chase sighed and put a hand on Dr. Hadley's shoulder, smiling at her gently. "Look, I think you've had a little too much work on your hands lately and-"  
He stopped in mid-sentence. His eyes were turned to the window to the right of him, now widening with disbelief. "What… what…"

Hadley sighed. "I told you." She said curtly. The other doctors began to move towards them now, looking through the same window. All of them had that same expression that Hadley had on the first day she had seen Hideto. Disbelief, fear, questions, she knew what they were thinking.

"What the…" Dr. Chase stared at Hadley, his body now wide awake, and his mind searching for answers. "It's a medical mystery. He wasn't like this when I first measured him. Like I said, he was five foot ten when I first measured him…" she sighed, looking away. "Now… he easily tops two meters high. Easy."

Dr. Taub swallowed, his body quivering. "But… you don't know…?"

"The diagnostics all came back negative. He doesn't have any sort of disease, illness, or any of that. He's as healthy as a man our size…" her voice trailed off. "I also can't keep much control over him… but… we've seemed to come to an understanding." She breathed again, thinking. "His girlfriend… they share a special love. That's why…" she paused, thinking about the other doctor…

"That's why you couldn't let the other doctors have their way with him." Hadley turned, seeing a smile greet her. Dr. Chase was still shocked, but mentally balanced enough to smile at her. "I understand." He sighed and put a hand to his chin, thinking. "First things' first… how're we gonna get him outta here?"

"Considering the height of the door and the height he is currently at…" Hadley's eyes seemed to turn to the voice. Dr. Cameron spoke. "It IS possible that he squeeze through the door… and still make it out. The only thing is… we'll have to unscrew the hinges so that they won't make any noise."

"I've got a screwdriver in my car." Dr. Foreman took off running, practically jogging down the stairs. Hadley couldn't believe it. She had convinced her co-workers to ensure the safety of this patient… and not one of them dared to ask why. She smiled softly as the other doctors began to plan ahead, writing their ideas down upon the pad that Hadley had with her. This was why she had called upon them. They were her backbone, her strength, and her friends. They were The Diagnostic Team.


	11. Chapter 11

It was silent. His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the darkness. He could feel the tiny body on top of his chest, falling and rising in sync with his. Hideto remembered that Kris was on his chest, and took care not to wake her up. But then again, something had woken him up.

As his eyes examined his surroundings, he found a man standing next to him that he had never seen before. Hideto swallowed, and spoke. "You must be Dr. Chase." The young man smiled, looking at him. "That I am. And you must be Hideto Takarai." Hideto nodded, acknowledging him.

As he looked around some more, he saw that more doctors had come in. A female doctor stood there, examining him fully. Another two men were with her as well, one black and the other a white man in his late years. Hideto examined them as they examined him.

"Well Hideto…" Dr. Taub addressed him. "You're going to get out of here. Tonight." Hideto tilted his head. "Where is-"

"I'm right here." His eyes turned to the familiar face. "Dr. Hadley…" she smiled at him. "I told you I had to make a few phone calls." Hideto smiled back at her warmly. "I knew I could trust you."

Dr. Foreman took a step forward, looking at him. "The first thing we need to do is get you out of here in one piece." He pointed towards the door leading out. "I unscrewed the screws on that door right there, you can exit without having to worry about too much of the metal bending." He said, planting his feet to the ground.

"In the state you're in, any sudden movements could cause the floor to collapse as well." Dr. Cameron put in, her eyes beaming. "So I would suggest that you not extend yourself too far… just roll over and onto your stomach."

Hideto nodded, but looked worried. "What about…" he felt something move beneath his palm. He looked to see Kris smiling down at him. "Hello love." At once, his fears were at ease. "Kris…"

She smiled and leapt down from his chest, landing softly on the floor. Hideto then looked at them all, and began to speak. "I think you should move. I do not want to cause any more damage then I already have."

Dr. Cameron smiled. "Don't worry. We'll leave." The doctors walked out, leaving Kris to tend to her love. "Hideto…" he looked at her. Worry was in her eyes again, and he felt as if all he ever did was make her worry. "Please… be careful?"

Hideto nodded. "I promise." She smiled at him, worry clearly still in her eyes. "Alright… I trust you." She nodded at him, her eyes twinkling. _Hideto…_ She turned and rushed out of the room.  
Hideto took a breath. This was the night. He was going to escape tonight. His body was trembling, that's how ready he was. He swallowed, and mentally prepared himself. _This is it._  
With a swift motion, he turned himself onto his stomach, rolling over the tiled floor. The doctors all took a step back. They weren't sure how strong Hideto was, and they weren't about to find out now. Knowing his size, he could very well destroy anything he pleased.

Hideto lay on his stomach, facing the outer wall that had the window to the outside. He carefully began to lift himself up and off the floor, getting only so far as bending his elbows before his back hit the ceiling softly. He grunted, and moved his knees under him, turning towards his right as he did so. His size made it hard for him to move around too much at a time, and he had to be conscious of where the pillars in the room stood. Knocking them over would cause a catastrophy, and putting too much weight into one side of the room would only have the same consequences.  
Once he faced the door to exit, he stopped for a moment, breathing. It had taken a lot of effort to just move himself through the tiny space. Now he knew what it felt like to be a caged pet. Hideto then looked at the door, and his heart sunk. It was so tiny… and narrow. Hideto had a good feeling of how big he was… and he didn't think that he'd fit inside that door anytime soon.

"I… I do not think that I can fit through there…" he said meekly. "I think I am too big…" Dr. Foreman shook his head and crossed his arms. "I unscrewed the bolts inside of this door's frame. Once you start to pass through, the metal should bend under your pressure and hold out without you breaking anything." Hideto looked at the tiny man, his eyes still examining the door's frame.  
"Hideto… it's alright." Hideto's eyes turned towards the girl who spoke to him. She was smiling at him, her head tilted. "You'll be fine."

Her words sunk into his heart and warmed it. He smiled, nodding at her. With that, he bent down low, and got on his elbows.

"This is it…" whispered Dr. Hadley. Dr. Chase could feel the pressure eminating from her body. She was just as nervous as any of the others were. Dr. Cameron put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's alright. We'll get through this." She said in a firm tone. Dr. Hadley turned to her, her eyes still filled with worry. "I hope so…"

At first, Hideto was hesitant to move through the door, but as he approached nearer, he gained more confidence. The first thing he did was aim his arms straight out in front of him so then that way he could pull himself through if he needed to. Hideto slowly pushed his head in next after getting his arms through, and soon, his shoulders were through as well. Dr. Foreman had proven to be right. The metal bent against his weight and pressure, but it wasn't breaking.

"He's doing it…." Whispered Kris. Dr. Chase glanced at her. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her hands were shaking. In fact, her whole body seemed to be shaking. She flinched as she felt a hand on her arm. "You're going to make him worry. You have to be strong, so he can be." Kris looked up at the blonde doctor, who smiled down at her. "He looks up to you the most out of all of us," he whispered. "And you're his backbone." Kris's mouth widened into a tiny smile.  
It wasn't until his body got stuck that Hideto began to panic. He had been fine up until his middle. For some reason, his hips refused to go through the doorway. He looked at the other doctors pitifully, hoping for someone to help him.

In truth, the doctors were too afraid to touch him, for fear that he might hurt them by accident. It was Dr. Hadley who walked up to him first, pushing his skin through the doorway. The others watched in fear and curiosity. They still wouldn't move. Hideto was four times their size, and an easy slip of the hand could mean injuries for all of them. It wasn't a matter of being careful with HIM, but him being careful with THEM.

"Don't just stand there!" Dr. Hadley's sharp voice shook them out of their trance. Dr. Chase swallowed. He took a deep breath, and quickly angled himself against one of Hideto's sides, pushing it inwards. The other doctors looked on, still worried.

His body was straining, and he could feel Hideto's massive chest heave with breaths. "C'mon!" he yelled, still pushing. "What're you doing let's GO!" he yelled at them. Dr. Foreman, not one to step down from the call of duty, immediately began to pull at the metal holding the door. He strained as the metal was slowly giving way to his strength.

Dr. Taub sighed. "Here goes nothing." He took a quick jog to where Hideto's flesh was pressed up against the frame and pushed, just like Chase was doing. Hadley glanced over at Cameron, who was still standing there, a frightened look in her eye. She hadn't moved, nor was she in any intention TO move. Hideto's size scared her, and she wanted nothing more then to stand a safe distance from him.

Kris pulled at Hideto's hand, looking up at him. "Please… please pull through…" Hideto pushed as hard as he could, but to no avail. His body wasn't going to give in. "C'mon!" he heard a tiny voice shout. Chase was still pushing, not giving in just yet. "Chase, he's not moving." Taub said, sighing. "There's just too much mass in the frame." Chase glared at him, his eyes narrowing. "Taub! This patient is like any other patient we have on this floor! If he needs our help, it's our duty to give him assistance!"

Hideto stared down at the man, a new sensation overcoming him. Chase kept pushing Hideto's side: Hideto could feel it, his tiny hands at his side, forcing his body inwards. He was determined. Hideto grunted, and now placed both of his hands on the wall, ready to push himself out. "Everyone move!" he said.

All of the doctors retreated as Hideto began to force his body through. He used all of his strength to push upon the walls, which creaked and cracked beneath his massive hands. He was pushing as hard as he could, and his body was slowly making progress. "We gotta help!"

Chase ran in, pulling Hideto's skin out. "Everybody!" Foreman was the next to run in, pulling at the door's frames. Hadley pushed upon Hideto's sides, and Taub pulled at Hideto's skin as well. Hideto could feel the people around him, the doctors that were going to help him through this.  
"Hideto…!" Kris stepped back as Hideto's body suddenly became unstuck and rushed through, his head crashing into the room in front of him. He was just as surprised as she was, and closed his eyes when the impact came. Hadley and the others shielded their eyes as massive amounts of glass shattered and flew through the air, landing on the floor.

Once he had landed safely, Hideto looked about him, now free of the frame. He lifted his hand, examining the damage he had done. He had burst through the glass wall of the conference room, and had crushed the table, as well as some chairs. Hideto turned his head over his shoulders, and looked at Kris, who was smiling at him. "Hideto… you're alright."

Hideto nodded, his fears fading. "And you are as well." Hadley stepped up to Hideto's side, speaking. "We need to get you out of here." She pointed towards her left. "Over there is the exit." Hideto nodded, and slowly got up, once again being careful not to crash into anything. Glass fell off his shoulders and back harmlessly, and Hideto once again found himself on his knees, looking at the tiny people before him.

The other doctors maintained eye contact, watching him as well. They had all helped. All of them had come together, and they had helped him with the difficulties that he had. Cameron looked away from them, knowing very well that she had not contributed to the team. It was Hadley who had led them, and Chase who had the courage to take the leap in to help. Foreman nodded at Hideto when their eyes locked. He was thankful. Thankful to all of them. They didn't treat him any different then from any other patient, and that was exactly what he wanted. "Thank you…" he said, looking all of them. "And thank you… Hadley." Hadley found herself blushing at his comment. She took a step back and looked away, her cheeks red. Hideto smiled down at her, and proceeded out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

He yawned and opened his eyes. He was happy. Nobody had bothered him, he had gotten a sandwich, and now, he was off to his house, where, hopefully, he would able to get even MORE sleep, and finally manage to catch up on those television shows…

How far behind was he in HEROES? House slowly uprighted his body and stretched, his fist in the air and his other hand pressing down on his shoulder. He looked about him, examining everything and yet taking in nothing. He was alone in his office, and the nurses hadn't interrupted his slumber. House chuckled as he recalled his yelling at the nurse. Maybe he should apologize later.

As his eyes followed through the office, his brain told him that somehting was wrong. He couldn't really put his finger on it, but somehow, he knew that something was going on without his knowledge.

He didn't like that.

House quickly stood up, grabbing his cane and heading out of his glass door. He didn't even take three steps when he realized that there were spare glass parts on the floor. "What in the…" as his eyes followed upwards, his body stiffened. Someone… or rather.. someTHING, had broken through the conference room. House inspected the break in, taking note that there were no traces of blood anywhere, nor were there any signs of control over the break. As he leaned down to examine the glass, he noticed that the chairs and table were also broken. The table was broken clean in half, and the chairs were all smushed, as they had been folding chairs.

House looked around for anyone, anyone at all who had possibly seen what had gone on. This was the first floor obviously but… what in the hell could've broken a freakin' table in half?  
He went over to the table, and realized that the table hadn't been cut at all. The table had literally been BROKEN. As if something massive and heavy had been placed on it.

Come to think of it… he did hear some commotion going on in the next room over. During his sleep he had thought he had heard a low thud, and possibly metal bending. House swallowed, deep in thought. Someone had broken through the conference room… but someTHING had broken the table and all the chairs.

House's cane began to move, his heavy footsteps echoing down the hallway. He reached the room that Hadley was in charge of, and snapped the yellow folder out of its' holder in front of the room. House stopped before looking at the folder because the metal door frame was bent. He blinked, his brain trying to register what exactly was going on. Strange enough, there were two crush marks on the walls BESIDE the door.

Now, if someone was trying to get in, wouldn't it be smart to aim FOR the door? Instead of beside it? House put his hand inside one of the cracks, and concluded that the holes had been made due to immense pressure… possibly the same one that had bent the metal door frame, and burst through the glass room, crushing the tables and chairs.

"What in the name of God could be big enough to do that? A goddamn whale?" House exclaimed, taking his hand away. He moved his jaw back and forth, like he always did when he was thinking. He then opened up the yellow folder and began reading the file that lay before him.


	13. Chapter 13

Hideto tried his hardest, but it seemed impossible to creep through hallways when you were twice their size. Kris was beside him, looking up at him every so often, smiling at him and telling that everything was going to be okay.

The doctors were surrounding him. Hadley was the closest of course, to him, and she kept a close eye on him. The others were at his back, sides, and front, in case if he got stuck, they could push through the walls. There wasn't very much room, so Hideto had to be careful when he put his hand down to move. He only barely moved his legs, for fear that he might topple over one of them.

He had gone through most of the hospital now, taking the long way to get to the garage because he was too big to fit inside the narrower hallways. After some time, Hadley spoke to Kris, whispering in her ear.

"Mrs. Takarai… what will you do to keep him safe from the public eye?" Kris sighed, listening to her words. "I don't know… he's too big to fit inside the apartment…" she glanced up at him momentarily. "Where can we keep him?" she asked.

"That's what the garage is for. He's still small enough to fit in there, and it seems as if he hasn't grown in the past two hours…" Hadley's eyes followed Kris's and looked up at Hideto. "At least the garage will contain him until we find a cure for his growth spurts." Kris nodded. "Then… can I stay with him?"

Hadley sighed and shook her head sadly. "You need rest, and he knows that. I understand your concern, but you have to think about your well being too. Look at yourself." Kris looked down at her hands and then at her sweater and jeans that she put on that night. They were dirty, and it even began to smell a bit.

"You need to clean up and rest, and then you can come back to see him." Hadley said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be even more relaxed if you show up clean and ready." Kris turned to her, a faint look of sadness in her eyes.

"But what if he grows over night? He'll need me to-"

"Mrs. Takarai." Hadley smiled at her. "We'll be there for him." Kris turned away, her eyes still wandering.

"Hey." Kris looked up again, this time at a blonde who was smiling. "He's got us, right? And what's better then a team of doctors to treat a disease?" Kris couldn't help but smile when he said this. "Thank you Dr. Chase."

He nodded and turned back to Hadley. "I think each one of us will have to take shifts watching him… we all know what could happen." Hadley nodded, eyeing him.

"Dr. Hadley?" Thirteen turned to the young girl again. "Yes?" she asked, looking at her. Kris blushed a little. "Well… you've been calling me Mrs. Takarai for the longest time now… but…" she giggled. "Me and Hideto… we're not married."

Thirteen stopped in her tracks, making the others stop as well. Hideto gasped as his hand nearly came down upon her. He breathed a sigh of relief as he took his hand away, looking down at her. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him curiously. "You two… you're not married?" Hideto shook his head and turned red. "No… not yet. Kris is my girlfriend… we have been together for almost three years." Kris nodded. "And still happy with each other!" she added in, smiling. She placed a hand on Hideto's arm, gazing up at him. "How could I ever leave him? He's so gentle, and caring."  
Hideto smiled and lifted his hand again, rubbing the top of her head with his fingers. She smiled and giggled.

Dr. Chase and Dr. Taube looked at one another, while Dr. Foreman stood there, his arms crossed, smiling. "You weren't kidding." Dr. Cameron was speaking to Hadley. "These two are deeply in love… and they're not even married!" Hadley nodded. "I know… that's the strange part…"

They continued walking until they had come to a grey door, which led to the garage. The doctors all went in first, and since the door was wide, Hideto had no problem squeezing through.

When he entered into the garage, he felt the pressure of being contained lift off his shoulders. He looked upwards and saw the ceiling high above him, and the space around him was once again wider then he was. He sat down upon his knees and examined the area.

"This is where you'll be staying until we figure out a cure." A tiny voice called up to him. He bent his head to see Dr. Chase talking to him. "We're going to send your girlfriend home, so she can get some rest, alright?"

Hideto looked at Kris, who looked back at him. "She… has to go?" he asked softly. Dr. Foreman nodded. "You don't want to see her distressed and worried, do you?" he planted his feet on the ground, shifting. "It's the least you can do."

Hideto's eyes saddened, but he nodded. "Alright… Kris…" he gazed at her tiny figure, his heart welling with love. He really didn't want her to go, but the way that Dr. Foreman put it… it seemed as if it was the best thing for her right now.

"You… you can go home." He said finally, looking away. "But… if you run into trouble…" he added, breathing. "Come back."

Kris's eyes welled as her heart soared. "Hideto!" she ran to him, taking his finger in her arms. He felt her iron grip on him, but he only stroked her head and urged her away. "Anata… wa watashi o ainutse…." Kris looked up at him, her eyes still misty. "Kioku."

Kris began to walk away, still holding onto his finger. Soon, even he wasn't able to hold on to her tiny hand. They let go softly, both of their eyes still locked. Kris turned away, and ran to Hadley, who was waiting for her with her keys in her hand. Hideto watched in silence as Kris got inside of her car, along with Hadley, and drove out of the garage, speeding into the night.

He sighed and averted the doctor's eyes. "Mr. Takarai…" began Dr. Cameron, "You did the right thing. Now she will be able to go home and rest, and then tomorrow, you can talk to her again. She'll feel better too." Hideto kept his mouth shut and just looked at the ground, feeling defeated.

A tiny hand stroked his arm. "Hey big guy." He looked in the direction of the voice, and found Dr. Taube smiling up at him. "We're all here for you. If you have any problems, just come to one of us, alright?" Hideto nodded faintly, lifting his hand and rubbing his eyes.

"You tired? You want to sleep?" asked Dr. Chase. Hideto nodded, looking around at someplace to lie down. Dr. Foreman was the first to speak. "There's a lot of space around… we'll get you something to lie down on."

Hideto looked at him and spoke. "If it is alright with you… I would like… to stand up… and see how tall I am…" Dr. Chase took a step backwards. "Uh…"

Dr. Taube and Dr. Foreman took a step back also. Dr. Cameron swallowed. "Well… in order to complete the report, he'll have to stand up eventually." She looked up at the man before her, still cringing in fright.

Hideto slouched his shoulders. "Is that… alright with you?" he asked, half in fear and half in hope. Dr. Chase sighed and nodded. "Just… be careful, will you?" Hideto nodded. "I will."  
Slowly, Hideto got himself on his feet (he had put some moccasins on before they had left), and put one hand on the ground. He started off in a crouching position and then slowly, lifted himself upwards, seeing the doctors shrink before his eyes. Hideto wavered a bit, but kept his balance. Then, he realized that his legs were fully upwards, in a standing position. His back slowly lifted as his hand rose upwards with him.

The doctors had to stand back. They were so awestruck by his immense size that they unconsciously kept moving backwards. They saw his legs, then his waist, and then bits of his torso before his head reached up and out of their sight. He was huge, much bigger then they had imagined.

Hideto raised his head finally, looking straight ahead. The ceiling was still quite far above him, and he could walk around in this space, without having a fear of crashing his head.

He stammered a bit when he spoke, his voice clearly trembling. "I… I did not know… I was so big…." He slouched his shoulders and wrapped his arms about him, trying to make himself feel small again, but alas, he felt bigger than ever.

"I… I feel… like a giant…" he said, sitting back down hastily. "I do not like that feeling… of being so big and high up…" Hideto lowered his eyes. "I feel as if I frighten others away from me."

Dr. Cameron gazed into his eyes._ He's scared… just like Hadley said. He's scared of himself, and he's scared of what might become of him. _

Dr. Foreman sighed. "Well, we need to find you a place to lie down. It won't be comfy, but it'll be the best we can offer at the moment."

Hideto nodded thankfully. "I will not complain." He said, half smiling. Dr. Chase smiled and spoke to the others. "You guys go on ahead. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him for a bit."  
Cameron and Foreman nodded, while Taube led the way back into the hospital. Once they were gone, Chase turned to him. "Hey, what's the matter? I thought men liked being big and powerful?" he laughed weakly; his idea of a joke.

Hideto merely sighed. "I wish… I wish I had that chance…." Chase looked up at him. "Chance for what?"

Hideto stuck a hand in his pocket, and pulled out something small and black. "This." He said, leaning down to Chase. Chase backed up, but allowed Hideto to come close enough to talk.

"Take it."

Chase looked at him curiously, taking the little black box. His fingers found the opening, and the lid popped up. His eyes widened.

"A ring?" he asked, staring at it. "Look at this thing! Pure diamond! Encrusted in gold… and…" Chase smirked, knowing. "You were going to drop the bomb?"

Hideto nodded. "But… it was on the same night… THIS," he referred to himself. "Happened." Hideto shook his head sadly. "I will never get that chance now… I cannot even bend down enough to look up at her unless I lay down… but I do not want to do that… she means too much to me…"

His eyes averted Chase. "I have given her so much pain… she does not deserve someone like me…" Chase could feel the air getting cold.

"Now, now, hang on a second." He said, trying to console him. "She loves you every bit as much as you love her! Why do you think she stuck around you while you were…" he swallowed. "Growing like that?"

Hideto's eyes softened. "She does love me…" his eyes mystified. "What have I done for her?" he said weakly. "I did nothing… she was studying so hard too… for her exams…" his voice was shaking.

"I'm scared." He said finally, his body shivering. "I'm scared of… what might happen to me… and what I could do to her…" he looked down upon his hands. Chase gulped, he knew what was coming. Hideto was just holding back. It was a man's pride.

"I am a monster… I destroy everything I touch…" Hideto looked away. "And for that… she must not see me this way…" Chase was about to say something when a splash made him stop. His eyes darted about, resting upon a puddle on the floor. "What the…." His brain began to work.

Overgrown men have emotions just like every other person. Overgrown men crying equals puddles on the floor. Puddles on the floor mean wet concrete.

Chase snapped up to look at Hideto. Tears were flowing out of his eyes, softly dripping onto the ground below. His body was shuddering and shaking, sobs coming from his throat. "Listen…" Chase closed his mouth. There were times when there were no right words. You just had to let it all out.

Hideto closed his eyes and attempted to wipe his tears away with the back of his hand, but it was no use. The tears just kept coming.

"I love her Chase…" he said, his voice shaking. "I love her so much…" Chase sighed as more tears fell, practically splashing on him. He hopped out of the way quickly, avoiding getting wet. "I know how you feel." He said, avoiding a puddle. "I gotta girl too."

Hideto looked down at him silently. "She's pretty… beautiful… best lookin' girl I ever had… but… no matter what happens between me and her, we'll always be together. Sometimes we get into fights, and we won't talk to each other for days, but we'll always come back for each other. It's just how love works, you know?" Chase smiled up at him, understanding in his eyes.  
Hideto nodded and wiped his eyes. "Yes… love…" he smiled softly. "Is a strange thing." He looked around him, realizing his tears had formed puddles of water. "I-I'm sorry…" he said meekly. "I shouldn't have-"

"You felt the need to. Don't be sorry." Chase nodded. "It's the Bro Code not to tell." Hideto chuckled softly. "I guess." He pushed Chase a bit with his finger. "Move out of the way a bit."  
Chase followed his orders, backing up. "What are you doing?" Hideto laid himself down on the concrete, propping himself up on his elbow. "I'm going to get some sleep…. I think you should too." He motioned towards Chase again. "Keep that."

Chase fingered the ring box that he had put in his pocket. "When I need it back, I will tell you." Hideto said, looking at him. "But for now, keep it safe for me, will you?" Chase gazed at him, slightly confused. Hideto laid down his head and rolled himself onto his side, closing his eyes. Chase watched as Hideto's breathing became slower, and eventually, his whole body relaxed. Chase smiled softly. "Yeah… will do buddy."

The footsteps were getting softer. House was tired. He had been walking in a straight line, trying to figure out what had happened to the office. Shattered glass, smashed tables and chairs, and no evidence of a planned break in. He glanced down. And this file…

He opened it back up again, reading the papers. "Hideto Takarai…" he said carefully, as if testing the name. He looked back up, and continued to walk, his cane moving slowly.  
If what the papers said was true…. House shook his head. Medical impossibility. That's what it was; nobody could EVER in a million years EVER pull off something like this, nonetheless some guy from Japan.

House continued to walk until he finally reached something strange, which puzzled him more. He remembered locking the garage door when he first came in this morning. The door was now unlocked, and it was creaked open a little.

House stared at the door, and wondered if one of the doctors had forgotten to lock it when they went out. But then again this was also impossible. The doctors left through the front door, and nobody parked in the garage because it was used for storing old medical equipment and items that nobody bothered using anymore.

He approached it carefully, taking care not to make any sort of noise. His cane rested in front of the door as his hand pushed open the metal object. It was no wonder Dr. Chase yelped when House came in.

"H-H-House!" House blinked and kept quiet. Chase had been sitting down on the ground, leaning upon the gigantic Hideto's arm as he slept. In all honesty, Chase was beginning to get bored when House popped in. This was a nice change of scenery.

"House… I-I uh…" he swallowed as House softly closed the door behind him, staring at Hideto. Chase couldn't explain himself properly, his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. It was House who began the conversation.

"What the hell is that?" he asked, coming closer to them both. Chase stared at him in disbelief. House was calm as ever, only a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "T-This…" he swallowed again, clearing his throat. "This is… Hi-"

"Hideto Takarai, right?" House smiled and rubbed his temples, staring at the giant that lay sleeping before him. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Chase merely stared at him. House walked over to Hideto's hand and poked it with his cane. "He's healthy enough. The only thing is," House looked up at Hideto's huge form. "He's as big as a freakin' house!"

Chase blinked in confusion. "What you aren't-"

"Why should I be? He's like every other patient in this stupid hospital." House chuckled and walked over to him, looking him dead in the eye. "So, tell me. How'd he get like that?"  
A stirring caused both of the men to turn around. Hideto had opened his eyes. He was looking at House, who was staring back at him in amazement. "Who are you?"

House swallowed, his fear now taking form. For some reason, he hadn't been afraid of Hideto while he was sleeping, but maybe that was BECAUSE he was sleeping. Hideto propped himself up upon his elbow and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He yawned and took a good look at House.  
House returned his gaze with a look of confusion. Hideto looked away from him for a moment. "Are you… here to help me?" he asked, his eyes to the ground. House sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm here to help you." He slowly came closer to Hideto, who kept his eyes on him at all times.

"First off, allow me to introduce myself." House cleared his throat. _Is he for real? _Chase's eye twitched.

"My name is Doctor Gregory House." He held out a hand."You must Mr. Hideto Takarai. Did I say that right?"

Hideto smiled softly and shook House's hand with a finger. "Yes." He replied, taking his hand back. House nodded and began his questions. "Hideto, did you have any pain that related to this," he waved his hand around. "Growth of yours?"

Hideto shook his head. "No, not recently. During the beginning yes I had much pain… but now, it seems to have died down." House scratched his chin, seeming to be uninterested.

"I see you have an accent."  
"I do come from Japan."  
"Really. I had absolutely no idea."

Hideto chuckled at his comment. For some reason, the air seemed a lot warmer since House had arrived. Chase stared at the two men having a normal conversation. He slowly smiled as he understood. Hideto felt like a human again.

House smiled and ended his conversation. Hideto breathed. "House?" House looked back up at him. Hideto became serious. "Is there any cure for what I have?"

House shifted his feet and held onto his cane. "Well… I can't say that there is…" Hideto's eyes saddened. "But then again, I can't say that there isn't." Hideto slowly looked at him, hope filling his chest. House smiled at him softly. "Listen, as long as you're here, you're under good control, don't you worry about that."

Hideto chuckled again and nodded. "I understand." He then paused and asked House a question. "Do you know how big I am?"

House looked up at him. "Actually, I have no idea." He pointed up at him. "Why don't you stand up for me? Lemme see what I've got to deal with here."

Hideto carefully stood up, the same way he did before. House gazed up at him, a look of concern crossing his eyes. He shouted up to Hideto. "I'm guessing you're about twenty to twenty five feet high."

Hideto looked at his hands. "Am I really that large?" he wondered aloud, looking back down at House. "Yeah," the little voice reached his ears. "Why don't you sit back down and rest? You look like you need it." Hideto smiled.

He carefully sat back down, avoiding House and Chase, and lay himself down upon the concrete again. House turned to Chase. "How long has he been here?"

Chase gazed back at him. "Only a few hours, the others haven't come back with the-"  
"I meant in the hospital."  
"Oh." Chase thought for a moment.

"Three days? It's going to be three days in a few hours." House nodded and stroked his chin again, thinking. "I'm sure that he'll have another spurt of growth within the next few hours." He turned back to Hideto, who had fallen back asleep while they were talking.

"The best thing to do is to keep him in close watch, and get him out of here ASAP." Chase stared at House, tilting his head. "Why were you so calm when you talked to him?"

House looked back at him and smirked. "Like I said, he's no different from any other patient. He's just bigger, that's all." He sighed and gazed at Hideto's sleeping form. "The other good part is, I know his wife." Chase blinked and let the information register. "Really? How do you know her?"

House chuckled and turned back to Hideto. "She made an appointment about a month from now." He smiled. "She's going to have a baby."


	14. Chapter 14

October 3 years ago

It was cold out that night. "Hey, we gotta get on soon. The crowd's getting' pretty rough." A voice spoke to him in Japanese, his native tongue. Hideto took a swig of his beer, clearing his throat.

"What? The Americans want to see us so soon?" he checked the clock in the band room. It read exactly seven fifty nine. "We go on at eight… let them be patient." The other band member chuckled and smiled. "You really want to get them riled up." Hideto nodded. "Hell yeah."

Hideto Takarai was a famous singer from Japan. He had signed a contract with a record company that sold his music overseas, and since he had a Facebook, all of his fans demanded that he go to America to perform. He had gotten over one million hits to go there, so he decided to take a trip down.

On this cold October night, he wore a black sheer shirt that had tiny buttons to hold it together. It flowed down to his waist, around his black ripped skinny jeans. On his feet, he wore black boots, covered in chains. Hideto got up and checked himself. His eyeliner held up and it still looked great. His earrings were all in place, and his hair was as perfect as ever, slightly up righted, but down and away, in all of its' black mightiness.

He smiled at himself. He was an entertainer, and he was here to please the crowd. He could hear them in the room, the big ballroom that they had booked for the night, and they were indeed restless. Countless girls were screaming his name. They wanted him. They wanted him because of his status.

Hideto breathed and stepped out into the light, holding his black guitar in his hand. This was his profession, and this… was what he lived for.

"C'mon!" she pulled her friend by his hand. "Hold on!" he cried out, running to keep up with his short friend. Kristiana pulled him towards the ballroom. "We're gonna miss him!" she cried. Her African friend smiled and looked down at her. "Hyde?" she nodded. "I can't believe he's HERE! In AMERICA!" she was practically screaming the words.

Her friend looked at her and shook his head. "You a crackhead!" he said, laughing. Kris tilted her head and laughed as well. "I AM aren't I?" she led him into the crowded room.  
It was packed with people, and it was bursting hot inside. They stood in the back of the crowd. Kris was extremely short, and it was hard for her to see. Her friend, stood at over six feet tall, while she stood at a mere five feet two inches. She tiptoed and managed to peek over some of the people's heads, but not all of them. She sighed.

"We need to find a way to get up there before Hyde comes out!" she cried out to him. The crowd began to roar and move. She whirled around to see someone approaching on stage. He was dressed in black, and wore black eyeliner. Kris's eyes twinkled. Her star had come out finally. "Hideto…"

He came out, and headed straight for the mike. He smiled and spoke into the flower covered microphone. He used the English he learned from a tutorial video. "Less get ready to ROCK!" he screamed. The crowd ate right out of his hand, screaming and calling his name. I love you and take me aways filled the air, making him smile. He was used to this amount of love and attention. He began to sing into the mike, his band playing behind him, supporting him.

His eyes scanned the crowd. Every girl was jumping and screaming his name, holding their hands out to reach him. Hideto smiled and winked at a few girls. He knew how to play the game…and the game was easy.

She stared up at him, his magnificent glory before him. He was winking at a few girls, making them scream in pleasure. Kris was so eager to get to him… but how? There weren't any mosh pits yet… but she was about to break one out if people didn't move their stupid tall butts!  
She began to push through the crowd, her little body moving swiftly through the tall people. Kris looked up, hoping to be noticed by him. She always wanted to see him… and now she could. He was right there, in front of her. Kris gazed at him, her mouth in a small smile. She could feel her chest fluttering.

Hideto was still singing. He could feel the power of the crowd flowing through his veins, empowering him. He was doing his best, and the fans were supporting him throughout. He breathed, finishing his song. He smiled, waving his hair about, causing more girls to scream. He chuckled and looked through the crowd again. It was part of the performance, so he had to say his lines. He licked his lips sexily and asked "Where is my love?" the girls screamed at him, wanting him to take them away.

He was single, and in reality, he WAS looking for someone to date… but no girl he had ever come across had ever been exactly what he wanted. They were either air heads, or they were just plain bitchy. As his eyes ran through the crowd, he saw a lot of THOSE girls. In his mind, he finally concluded, that at the age of thirty seven, he would never find the right woman for him. It was then that his eyes fell upon a small girl who was standing in a mass of tall people, smiling up at him genuinely. Unconsciously, he gasped.

Kris saw him licking his lips, asking his famous question "Where is my love?" He was the rare few Japanese who could actually speak English. Not perfectly, but well enough to be understood. She stood there, gazing up at him, smiling. She knew he wasn't perfect, but he was a good man. She was only fifteen… but she admired him. He was wise, and he would marry someone just like him. She sighed… but as she gazed up at him, their eyes locked. She gasped.

Her eyes were twinkling, literally sparkling in the light. He stood there, and soon, the crowd was muted out from his hearing. His eyes were fixed on her, and her eyes were locked on his. She had beautiful brown eyes…. And her smile was so soft and gentle. He couldn't look away. He swallowed and blinked, taking in her little form. She was in a plain hoodie and jeans, just happy to be there. But there was something about her… something that perked his interest. His eyes softened. It wasn't until the bass line kicked in that he was forced out of his trance.

Kris saw him staring at her. His eyes were perfect little brown orbs… gazing at her. She could literally see his eyes softening when their eyes met. He had gazed at her… no… he had looked her over… observed her. She swallowed. He was perfect in every way.

As soon as the show was done, Hideto walked off stage, and headed for the van. What was he thinking? She was just another fan. Another crazy ass fan who just wanted him to take her virginity. He sighed and stepped out of the building, breathing in the cold air. Hideto stood there for a moment, gazing at the stars, when he heard a voice in the distance. He turned his head, to see the girl he had been staring at standing a distance away from him, staring at him. His mouth opened a little in a gasp.

Kris had a wonderful time, and he had looked at her. She couldn't stand the amount of happiness that she had now. She was just another girl to him, she knew, but it was enough just to see him. She smiled happily to herself as her friend walked beside her and they talked. She had gotten through the crowd just fine, and they were outside, talking. "He looked at me!" she exclaimed, jumping. "It was soo cute!" her friend laughed. "I'm sure it was." Kris smiled and began to walk to the nearby McDonalds, hoping to get something to eat before she went off for the night. Her friend waved her a goodbye, and she called her parents. They would be there in five minutes. She had just enough time to grab a Sprite. She had taken only three steps before something to her right slammed shut. She turned, and saw Hyde standing there, gazing up at the stars. Her legs unconsciously stopped, and her eyes fell upon him. Soon, he turned and gazed at her as well. Their eyes were locked.

Hideto swallowed. What would she do? Come screaming at him? Does she want his autograph? He stood there, waiting, gazing again at her. She hadn't moved. Their bodies seemed to be frozen in time. Neither had taken a step towards one another. He was surprised. Usually, a female fan would run to him and ask for a picture or a signature, but she… she stood there, just staring at him. He blinked. Slowly, he took a step towards her. His legs walked him over to her.

Kris saw him moving. She took a step back and nearly tripped over herself. She found that her cheeks were hot, and her heart was pounding. He had seen her! But she knew that usually famous artists like him hated the girls who ran up to them and screamed at them. She knew better then to bother him with trivial stuff like that. But here he was, heading towards her. She didn't know what to do, so she stood there, frozen in time. He came closer and closer.

Finally, he stood there, in front of her, about a foot away. He looked down at the little girl, who was avoiding his eyes. He gazed down at her, wanting to see those beautiful eyes again. She hadn't said a word, but he could tell that she was nervous. Why would she be conscious of herself being nervous? Fans shouldn't care. "Hello." He said, looking down at her. He stood at five feet five inches, but he still had to tilt his head down to meet her eyes.

Kris could feel him; he was standing right in front of her, a foot away. She didn't want to make a fool out of herself, so she kept quiet. It wasn't until he spoke that she dared look up at him. "Hello."

He watched as she lifted her head and her eyes to meet him. He gazed into those beautiful brown eyes once again, making his heart pump. She was visibly shaking, her mouth trying to form words. "H-Hi." She said meekly. Her voice was deep, but very smooth and strong. Upon closer look, she was tan skinned, a Hispanic. Hideto tilted his head down more to see her fully. "What are you doing out here?"

"I-I… M-My parents are coming soon…" she said, avoiding his eyes. Hideto couldn't get his eyes to wander from her face. It was too pretty. "Your… parents?" he asked, trying to look directly into her eyes.

She nodded. "Y-Yes…I-I was going to get something to drink… I-I'm thirsty… t-the guards threw out my water bottle… t-they said that no drinks were allowed…" Hideto nodded his head. "They… do not let anything in." he said, feeling his heart beat. She was making his heart beat.  
"Do you mind… if I join you?" he asked. Kris could feel herself tense up. Her cheeks became red with embarrassment. She looked at him fully now, her bangs flopping in her eyes. "Y-Y-You want… t-t-to…" she put a hand to her mouth. "B-But… don't you… h-have…"

"They can wait. I am the one who people come to see anyways." He looked down at her gently. "Your parents are coming… right?" he asked. "Well… it is not safe for someone like you to be wandering a city this late at night."

It was true. It was midnight, and being in New York City at midnight is never a good thing. Kris swallowed. "I-I guess you're right…" she took a step back. "You sure you want to? I mean because I know you probably have to rest because you're tired and you want some alone time from the fans and…" he put a hand on her arm softly, making her stop. She looked up at him again, her eyes wide.

"It is alright." He said, looking at her. "Let us go. You must be thirsty." She nodded slightly, still shocked._ He's talking to me… he's actually… touching me! _

Hideto smiled and gently pulled her along with him, walking over to the McDonalds by the corner. He held the door open for her, Kris looking down and away the entire time. Here she was, some girl from nowhere, eating with a famous musician! Hideto walked right up to the cashier and ordered her a Sprite, and a Coke for himself. Kris began to take out her wallet, but Hideto shook his head. "I will pay." He said softly. Kris couldn't help but stay in shock. He was paying for her?

They sat down together, Hideto picking a booth seat near the window. Kris sat down softly, just looking into her Sprite straw. Hideto sat in front of her, still not taking his eyes off her. They sat in silence for a little while, Hideto gazing at her the entire time. Kris tried her best not to let herself cry from excitement. She sat there, using her best lady skills.

"What is your name?" Kris lifted her head. He was talking to her, a smile on his face. "M-My name is K-Kristiana…" she said softly. Hideto nodded. "Kristiana… what a pretty name." he said. She blushed, looking away. "I am sure you know who I am." He replied, tilting his head. She nodded slightly. "You're… Hyde… Hideto Takarai… am I right?"

His smile faded for a second. "You know my real name?" he asked. Kris gasped. "I-I'm not a s-s-s-stalker or anything! I promise! I-I-It was just on the internet and I…" she began to shake, getting up. "I-I shouldn't be here. You're a busy man and I'm sure you have a lot of other things you could be-"

She felt a hand on her arm. She stopped, gazing over her shoulder. Hideto was standing there, holding her arm. "No." he forced her to sit back down. She was shaking now, visibly shaking. Hideto smiled at her kindly. "I chose to come here with you. Do you think I would choose to come here if I was busy?"

Kris shook her head, her eyes looking down. Hideto breathed and nodded. "That is why I came here with you." He said, fingering his straw. "I saw that you were just looking at me in the crowd… were you not excited to be there?"

Kris nodded vigorously. "I've been waiting for you to come here for a long time! I ordered my tickets three months in advance… and I came here yesterday to make sure I was prepared…" her voice trailed off, her head facing down again.

Hideto could still see she was shaking. "So you like my music?" he asked. Kris nodded again. "I absolutely love it! It's… it's so pretty… and your voice…" she turned red. "I love it… I love when you sing about love and that sort of thing… it sounds like it comes from your heart…" Hideto smiled. "Sometimes it does."

Kris kept her eyes away from him, trying to remain calm._ Why does he take an interest in me? Of all the fangirls out there… he picked me! _

"I… I'm not very good at singing…. But I try…" she said meekly, shifting herself a bit. Hideto nodded. "Can I hear some?"

Kris blinked. "What?" Hideto licked his lips. "I said I want to hear you sing." She blinked again. "What? Here? I-I couldn't… I suck…"

Hideto shook his head. "A musician is always prepared." Kris silenced and took a deep breath. "Karami tsuku kazeni sakarai… ushinatta kisetsu wo saganutse iru…" she stopped herself, turning red. "I-I'm so sorry… I suck… I completely ruined your song…" Hideto had sat there, his arms rested upon the table, listening to her. He shook his head. "No… you were good." He said, smiling. "You should never doubt your ability." Kris could finally take it no more. She quickly gathered her stuff and practically leapt out of her seat, rushing towards the door. "Wait!"  
She heard his voice behind her, but her body was moving on its' own. She wanted to get away. He was being so nice to her… and she was a nobody… Kris moved slower now, her body getting tired. She had left her soda there with him, and she had no intention of going back to go and get it. Finally, she came to a stop, her legs tired and her body shaking. Slowly, tears began to fall from her eyes.

Hideto rushed after her, not wanting to lose her in the city. "Kristiana!" he called out. Some nearby girls stared at him. "Is that Hyde?" he looked past them and ran to where he saw her go. "Kristiana!" he called again, hoping to catch her. It wasn't long until he spotted a girl in a maroon hoodie standing on the sidewalk by herself. "Kristiana…" he said, coming over to her. "I am so glad I found you… why did you-" he stopped. His ears caught little sobs. "Kristiana?"  
As he looked down, he realized she was crying. Hideto came around to her front and leaned down to look at her. "Kristiana? Kristiana what is wrong?" he asked, nervous. "What happened?" she continued to sob, her tears coming out in rivers. He felt pity for this girl… he didn't want to see those beautiful eyes that had compelled his heart to get soiled. He softly put his arms around her, holding her head against him.

Kris felt his arms around her, her head being held into his chest. She shook heavily… she was scared. He had taken her in his arms, and was holding her. Him, the most famous rock artist of Japan. Him, the musician of the ages that she loved and adored. She sobbed into his chest, her heart pounding like mad.

He stayed quiet, letting her sob into him. She was so warm… he loved the way that she spoke, her voice was warm, her body was warm… everything about her reminded him of a gentle flower. She was fragile, but strong. He held her, waiting patiently.

Finally, she stopped her tears. Only little sobs came out every now and then. She was done. He slowly let go of her, Kris looking down. He lifted her head up with one finger. "Kristiana?" he asked, looking at her. Her eyes were still watery, and she was trying to look away from him, her head fighting his hand. Hideto forced her to look at him, her eyes now tearing. "There is no reason to cry." He said, wiping her tears away. "Why are you crying? Have I offended you?" he asked.

"No… no!" she said, shaking her head. "You didn't do anything…" she sniffed and wiped her tears away. "You're just…" she looked up at him, curiosity in her eyes. "Why did you pick me? You could've just gone home… and continued to tour… but you stayed with me…." Hideto smiled at her. "It is because you are not like the other girls." He said, looking down at her. "You like my music, but yet you appreciate and see who I really am. That is the feeling I got from you." Kris looked up at him.

"You're famous… you have a life… don't you think… that one girl… who's a nobody… makes no difference?"

"But I saw the way you looked at me… and you have eyes… that…" he blushed. "That are different." He let go of her now, stepping backwards. Kris stared at him. "Hyde…" Hideto shook his head. "Call me Hideto."

Kris turned red. "I can't do that… you don't know me from a hole in a wall." Hideto sighed. "You are a girl named Kristiana who can sing, and who left her soda in the restaurant we came out of." Kris's mouth widened in a smile as she laughed. She stopped herself, turning red.  
Hideto chuckled. "What? You do not like your laugh either?" Kris shook her head, smiling. "I don't like it…." Hideto sighed again. "Kristiana." She jerked up her head, her eyes sparkling. "Y-Yes?"

Hideto tilted his head. "Will I… see you again at one of my concerts?" Kris swallowed. "I… I don't know… I really don't have the money to go to all of them…" Hideto nodded. "Okay… But I would like to see you again… someday." He licked his lips, thinking. "Oh uhm…" he took out his cell phone. "Here," He said, handing it to her. "You can enter your number into here."  
Kris took it carefully. "But… are you sure?" Hideto nodded. "I am." He smiled. "If we had more time, I would go back and talk with you more." Kris blushed as she entered in her numbers. "O-Okay…" she cleared her throat, smiling a little. Hideto checked his phone and called her, making sure she gave him a real number.

Kris felt her phone vibrate and took it out, gazing at the international number. "Thank you…" she said weakly, not believing that she had his number. Hideto nodded at her. "Do you have texting?" he asked.

"Y-Yes… unlimited." Hideto chuckled. "Well then, I can practice my English when I text you." Kris swallowed. Hideto smiled at her and looked at the red car pulling up beside them. "Are those your parents?"

Kris nodded. "Yes…" Hideto sighed. "I guess we must part then…" he looked at her, into her beautiful brown eyes. "I would love to see you again." He said to her, gazing. Kris looked back at him in surprise. "Hyde…" he shook his head. "Hideto…" she said softly, letting the word roll off her tongue. "I would like that too…" Hideto watched as she walked to her car, opening the door and stepping inside. He felt warm inside, having met a girl who was different from everyone else. His eyes followed as her car drove away, and his heart continued to beat. He didn't know what it was, but his heart felt so light and at peace. He smiled. He would definitely call her back.


	15. Chapter 15

Present Day

Kris sighed and looked out the window of the car. Hadley drove at a moderate pace, not wanting to make a scene rushing through the city. "And that's when you went on your first date?" Kris smiled silently. "Yes… he couldn't help but text me… he was so bad at English before." She sighed again and looked at the driver.

"Dr. Hadley… do you think Hideto will be alright with me not there with him?" Hadley paused and thought before giving an answer to the young girl. "I'm sure he's just as worried about you as you are about him." She pulled up the car to the apartment and parked, turning the car off and looking back at Kris. "You shouldn't worry about him so much." Kris snorted and stepped out of the car, closing the door softly behind her.

The door creaked open, and Hadley stepped inside. The apartment was well lit, with darkly colored furniture to accommodate the pale walls. It was a beautiful tan color, and there were numerous paintings and pictures hanging about. Hadley gazed around the living room, and her eyes rested upon a piano that was seated in the far corner of the room.

"Take off your shoes, get comfy." A voice spoke to her. She turned around to see Kris taking off her shoes and her jacket, revealing a black tee shirt. Kris glanced at her. "Do you want some tea or something?" Hadley smiled slightly. "I think I should be asking you that."

Kris chuckled. "Well, I have to be a good hostess, now don't I?" she breathed and ran into the kitchen, fixing up her pot and some water. "What kind of tea do you want?" she asked, setting the water to boil. Hadley took a seat at the island that was protruding out of the wall in the kitchen. She pulled up a stool and sat down, admiring the marble tabletop. "Any kind."

"Black it is." Kris said with a laugh. She set the teabag in the pot and started to wash the dishes that were still there from that one night. Hadley looked around the kitchen some more and realized that a few pieces of music were taped to the refridgerator. "Is that yours?"

Kris shook her head. "I don't compose. That's Hideto's. He was going to practice it…" her hands moved quickly against the dishes, washing all of them clean in seconds. Hadley's eyes fell upon the young girl, silently p

Hadley shook her head and smiled. "No thanks." She paused a moment, taking in her thoughts. "Kristiana, why don't you take a shower? Isn't it better for you to get cleaned a bit?" Kris stopped fiddling with the tea and turned to look at her. "Dr. Hadley…" she looked down. "I…"  
"Go on. Nobody's coming in. You locked the door."

"You don't mind?" Hadley shook her head. "Of course I don't. You need the rest more than any of us." Kris smiled gently and nodded. "Alright."

She strode off to her room, and gathered her things, rushing into the bathroom. "I'll be out in a little bit. Take the pot off the stove when it's ready!" Hadley nodded and waved back at her. "Don't worry about it!" Kris smiled and closed the door. Hadley breathed and licked her lips. This was going to be very difficult for Kristiana, she could feel it. Her eyes narrowed. _She's going through a lot… and she needs support… _Hadley thought. _We need to figure out what to do… _

The warm water rushed over her as she lifted her head into the rain coming. Kris closed her eyes and let the warm run through her body, filling her with soft and gentle thoughts. She shivered and picked up the soap.

As she washed herself, she looked down. Dirt and grime was running off her body like a river. _Was I that dirty?_ She suddenly felt ashamed for having been with her love unclean. Kris continued to wash, and her heart pumped with sadness. She wanted to hold him, to comfort him, and to make him feel as if everything was going to be alright. She breathed again and washed her hair, the dirt running down into the drain. Somehow, this was soothing, and she only hoped that Hideto was comfortable.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Hadley smiled at her. Kris had changed into sweatpants and flip flops with a simple shirt. "I wanted to get comfortable…" Kris said, sitting down next to Hadley and taking her tea. Hadley sipped at the cup. "I see." The two women sat there, sipping at their tea. The air was warm.

"He loves you so much…" Hadley said finally, sipping at her tea. "He just wants you to be safe." Kris looked at her. "Yes…" Hadley smiled at her. "The connection between you two… there's something special about it." Kris blinked. "It's just… love. That's all it is." Hadley shook her head. "There's some connection between you two that others can't see." She nodded slightly, her eyes smiling.

"He would do anything for you… I see that. You two…. Have a special bond." Kris blushed and turned away. "Hadley… he means everything to me… he's my whole world…" she looked up through her skylight and into the black night above. "He's the reason why I can get up every morning. He smiles at me… and makes me feel like I can do anything." She chuckled. "He's so silly sometimes… and other times he can be very serious." She sighed and looked back down. "He's… he's my everything."

Hadley nodded as she watched the young girl. Obviously, Hideto and Kristiana couldn't live without each other, and that love was a force that even dire circumstances couldn't break. It was a bond that only they shared, and they understood.

"Kristiana… do you play piano?" Kris seemed to tense when she asked the question. "I… I do… but I'm not very good." She smiled softly. "Hideto always used to tell me that I played like an angel… and that I should never give it up." Hadley watched as the young girl slowly got up from her stool and walked over to the piano, opening it up and touching its' white and black keys.  
She sat down softly as her fingers ran over the keys, and eventually, they pressed down, producing a soft melody that Kristiana hoped would reach Hideto's ears.

_"Something always brings me back to you.  
It never takes too long.  
No matter what I say or do  
I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone.  
You hold me without touch.  
You keep me without chains.  
I never wanted anything so much  
Than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.  
Set me free, leave me be.  
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.  
Here I am and I stand so tall,  
Just the way I'm supposed to be.  
But you're on to me and all over me.  
You loved me 'cause I'm fragile.  
When I thought that I was strong.  
But you touch me for a little while  
And all my fragile strength is gone…" _

Her eyes filled with tears, but she smiled, thinking of her love. "I hope… I hope Hideto is safe…" Kris stood back up quickly, pushing the chair back into the piano and shutting it closed.  
Hadley could feel her eyes brimming over as well when the lyrics hit. It was magical; Kris played from her heart, and through that, all her feelings of pain, sorrow, and worry, rushed into Hadley's body all at once. It almost seemed to be too much for her to handle, but then she thought. Kristiana was only eighteen years of age, and yet… she was dealing with all this pain in her heart. _She's a strong girl._

Kris took her place beside Hadley once again, sitting down. "I'm sure that he'll be fine." Hadley spoke as Kris sipped at the last of her tea. Hadley smiled at Kristiana and slid her hand over to hers. Kris looked up at her. "Dr. Hadley…" Hadley nodded and squeezed her hand. "Call me Remy."

It had a gotten a bit colder as Hadley stepped out from the warm apartment. "Remy…" Hadley turned around, looking at the figure standing in the doorway. "Will you… will you let me see him tomorrow?" Hadley smiled and nodded, her confidence rising. "He'll see you, don't you worry about it." Kristiana smiled back at her and sighed. "Thank you. Thank you for everything." Hadley waved a last goodbye and stepped into her car, closing the door behind her.  
Kristiana watched as the car slowly rolled out of sight, and into the darkness before her. Her hair waved in the wind that was coming, and she stepped back inside. It was quiet in the apartment without Hideto. Her eyes fell upon the piano once again, her legs moving her towards it. Her fingers ran over the keys as she slid it open, and slowly, her hand rested on a picture of her and Hideto that was placed on top of the piano. She gently took it in her grasp, her tears falling softly from her cheeks. Kris hugged the picture to her chest, sniffling.

Her body went straight into the bedroom, collapsing against the bed, still clutching the picture. She cried aloud now, holding the picture close to her. He meant everything to her, and she loved him. She could only picture him, in that garage, huddled on the floor, shivering. She prayed, she prayed to God that it would only be tonight that she cried like this, and that the Lord would keep him safe for her.

Her eyes slowly closed, her mind filling with thoughts of him. She could only pray that he would be okay. In her heart she knew he was a fighter, and he would never give up. Her mouth widened into a smile. If he refused to give up… then she had to follow him. They loved each other after all… and that was what held them together.


	16. Chapter 16

"Kristiana!" he ran to her, his arms outstretched and his heart pounding. He fell into her arms, hugging her tightly, and never wanting to let go. Kris looked up at him, smiling. He was normal, and she was there to comfort him. He snuggled his head into her shoulder, inhaling her beautiful scent. "I have missed you…" she giggled and rubbed his head, caressing his hair. "Hideto… I'll never leave your side…" she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. He looked down at her, happiness filling his heart. "Kristiana…"

He felt her slip from his arms a little. He lifted his head and looked her in her eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked, caressing his neck. Hideto stared at her before replying. "Nothing… it was nothing." He held her again, this time, carefully feeling her. She slipped from his grasp again.  
Hideto's eyes widened as he pushed her away. "What…" Kris looked back at him, fear entering her eyes. "Hideto?" he shook his head and looked about him. They were in their room, back at the apartment. Everything seemed normal. Everything seemed it, but it wasn't; and he knew it.  
Kris took a step forward. "Are you okay Hideto?"

"When did I get out?"

"From where?" she asked. Hideto blinked. "The hospital…" he silenced, realizing that something was definitely wrong. His eyes darted about, taking in everything. It was exactly the same, but it wasn't.

Soon, his fears were confirmed. Slowly, everything began to shrink away from him, and it got closer and closer together. "Oh no…" Hideto could feel his shirt ripping again, his pants getting tighter. "Kris… get out of here!"

She was backed up against the wall, staring at him. He quickly shoved her out of the room, locking the door behind her. He stood there, his head scraping the ceiling. "I am growing again…" his shirt was in tatters now, and his muscles were too much for it to contain.  
His pants were mere shorts as they struggled to hang onto his expanding legs. His head hit the ceiling with a low thud as his bottom hit the floor and his legs expanded out in front of him. Hideto's body was cramping in the room, his head wanting to push through the ceiling and up into the floor above.

His heart was pumping madly, his fears taking over. He was getting too big. He couldn't possibly still fit in this room. With a grunt, he tried to move his body into a more comfortable position, but he only broke more items in the room, crashing the bed and crushing the dressers. Hideto stopped, realizing his power. "No… no!" he cried out, willing himself to stop. _I don't want to grow… I don't want to grow again… _

It wasn't long until his head cracked the ceiling, and pushed through, coming up on the floor above. He blinked as his shoulders shoved through as well, his naked body expanding at a frightful rate. The people before him were screaming, cowering in the corner of the room. Hideto shook his head. "I will not hurt you! Please! Just get out of here!" he said, hoping they would understand him.

The couple ran from their apartment as fast as they could, locking the door. Hideto could feel his legs pushing up against the walls of his own apartment, his feet flat against the walls and his knees breaking through the ceiling where his head had burst through. He had to be more than thirty feet tall now.

His head hit the ceiling again, this time almost not even stopping to cramp, just simply bursting through. Hideto closed his eyes as bits and pieces of debris rained down upon him, and onto his expanding body below. He shielded his eyes, which caused his elbows to crash into the walls, cramping them even more. Before he knew it, he had crashed through the fifth floor, and since he lived on the first floor, he only hoped that he wouldn't burst through the roof.

Hideto's arms unconsciously shoved the walls at his sides, breaking out of them, and smashing into the building next to them. He could feel himself grow some more, taking out whatever furniture and items in the floors above him. From his height, the only thing he could hear were people's screams as he outgrew the apartment building, crushing everything like it was made of aluminum.

Eventually, his head burst through the roof, and his back hit the main post, taking the entire building down with him. It crumpled in a heap, covering his waist and legs in bits of furniture and debris. He looked to his left to see that his hand was still in the opposite building. He quickly withdrew it, careful not to harm anyone down below him.

His eyes scanned the ground below him, and he realized that he was naked, take for the boxers he had on, containing his package, which was about to burst as well.

Hideto wrapped his arms around himself, hoping to cover his muscular body. He shook his head silently, hoping that he could somehow shrink back.

"A monster!" he heard a woman cry. Hideto looked down to see people surrounding him, pointing fingers and watching, scared. He wanted to get out of there, he wanted to go back to Kris and embrace her again, setting all his fears aside.

From a distance, he heard the police sirens, and he knew they were after him. He looked down again to see the people still coming, pointing and murmuring. He couldn't tell how big he was, but he knew he was too big to stay here.

"I can't stay here…" he said in Japanese. He put his hands down upon the ground and lifted himself up from his sitting position, wiping the debris off of him and standing up. His head cleared the buildings beside him, and enabled him to see far off into the distance.

"I'm so big…" he said silently, looking down. His legs seemed to be a mile long as they stretched down below him. He looked down and saw the police cars beginning to pile up. Hideto's heart thumped with fear.

"Stay where you are! We have you surrounded!" his fear blocked out his ears and his ability to understand English. Hideto shook his head and looked around for a way out. Since they lived in the city, there were streets everywhere, leading in all directions. This was his only hope.

He looked down again at the people, and spoke. "Move!" he said clearly in English. The people didn't have to be told twice, as they ran all over the streets like frightened ants. Hideto lifted his foot and began to walk, looking down all the way, making sure not to harm anyone when he stepped down.

His legs carried him away quickly, taking him far away from the police cars. He had to be careful though, he had no idea how big he was, and he wasn't about to step on anybody. Hideto watched as people ran from his massive form, screaming and nearly tripping over themselves. He sighed in sorrow as he continued to walk, the police cars behind him and following. His adrenaline began to kick in as he felt the pressure of being caught ferment itself in his heart.  
He began to move faster now, his legs spreading into a run, and taking him away more quickly. Hideto avoided all the side streets, and only ran on the main roads, being careful not to step on any cars.

It wasn't long before he reached the ocean of the city, and he had nowhere else to go. He turned around and saw the cars still chasing him, coming at high speeds. He swallowed and his eyes darted about, looking for a place to hide.

Swiftly, he made his way underneath the Tappen Zee Bridge, hiding under the arch and lowering himself into a crouching position. It was night time, so the lights couldn't catch him under the bridge.

Hideto breathed a sigh of relief as they passed over him, his body shivering from the cold. He emerged from beneath the bridge, his massive body hulking in front of all the cars on the bridge. He stood equal to its' height when he stood in the ocean, and he knew that he was at a full fifty feet in height.

"It can't get much worse than this…" he sighed and looked about. "I have to find Kris…" with a long stride, he took himself back into the city and began to wander about, searching for his love. His heart was filled with sorrow, and he wasn't used to being that big. He had no idea how strong he was, and he was afraid to touch anything, for fear he might break it.

People still ran and screamed when he came near. Hideto tried his best to lean down and talk at a soft tone, but nobody would listen to him. They all ran, screaming Monster! Monster!  
Hideto shook his head and crouched down again. "Please.." he was still speaking his native tongue. "I'm not a monster… please just listen to me!" nobody would come near him, and nobody would talk to him. He felt more alone than ever, and all he wanted to do was find Kris.  
"Where are you?" he asked hopelessly. "Kris…" it wasn't long until the police came and surrounded him again, Hideto not paying attention at all. All he wanted was to know that Kris was safe, and that she was okay.

He fell upon his bottom, crushing the street and creating a hole in the concrete. "Kris…" his legs were spread out in front of him, hopelessness filling his heart. "Kristiana!" he shouted, shattering countless windows and glass items.

Eventually, he felt little strands wrap around his body, pinning his arms to his sides. He looked down and saw that the local police were pinning him together using metal chains. He struggled a bit, trying to get it off.

It was useless of course, because he was too gentle and didn't want to hurt anyone coming near him. "Please… just tell me where Kris is and I'll leave!" he said. The police shook their heads and spoke to him in English. "Where you from monster?"

Hideto shook his head, his eyes welling. "I'm not a monster! I'm not a monster!" he cried out, his tears dripping onto the ground below. He was tied up now, and his body was immobile. "Please… just tell me where Kris is…"

A tank rolled up in front of him, it's gun aimed straight for his chest. His heart leapt in fear. "No!" he screamed, struggling more now against the chains. People and police scrambled all over him, trying to contain him. He shook his head and continued to cry, his voice becoming louder. "No!"

Hideto got one arm free and swiped away a good portion of the army that was against him onto the ground below him, killing most of them. He began to undo the rest of the chains when he heard a loud boom coming in his direction.

His frightened eyes turned to see the bomb shooting right at him, hitting him square in this chest. He could feel it pierce his heart as it burned through his skin. "KRISTIANA!"


	17. Chapter 17

"I'm not… I'm not…"  
"Hideto!"  
"I'm not! I'm not a monster!"  
"HIDETO!"

Hideto's body shot up into a sitting position, tears streaming down his face and a cold sweat all over him. House glanced up at him. "You okay?"  
Hideto panted heavily, his heart still racing. It was all a dream. Just a dream. He kept telling himself that. It was just a dream.

"Hideto?"

He heard House's voice and looked down, seeing the tiny doctor beside him, staring up at him. "I-I…" Hideto wiped his tears and covered his face with his hands. "I just… I had a horrible dream…" he replied, his heart still pounding hard.

House nodded, understanding in his eyes. "You're worried… aren't you?" Hideto couldn't help but nod back to him. "I am… I want to know… that I will not get too big… and be considered… a monster… to you."

He released his hands from his face and sighed. "It was just a dream… a horrible… horrible dream…" Hideto shook his head, his heart finally calming down. "I do not think I can sleep with those kinds of dreams roaming around in my head."

House sat back down in the plastic chair that he had pulled up in the garage. It was about eight in the morning, and Chase was off getting him some coffee. The other doctors had all gone home, including Hadley, who had called him and checked in, saying Kristiana was alright.  
House glanced up at the giant before him, who was still trying to wake up from his nightmare. He swallowed when his eyes fell upon the stretch marks in Hideto's shirt.  
"Hideto." He said, pointing to his shirt. "How's the shirt feel?"

Hideto blinked for a second before looking down and saw the stretch marks. A startled cry escaped his throat. "I-I…" his eyes dimmed. "I am… I am still growing?" he slowly moved his arms and sure enough, the shirt rose to reveal his flat stomach. He sighed sadly and rubbed his head.

"How big…" House glanced at him, not hearing him. "What?" he asked, leaning forward.  
Hideto turned to him, completely serious. "How big will I become?" House swallowed before answering, his mind clicking and thinking. His jaw moved back and forth as his mind worked over an appropriate answer.

Hideto sat there, waiting for him. "Well?" he asked sharply. House glanced back up at him and shrugged. "I have no idea." Hideto's shoulders sagged. "You do not know?" House shook his head. "Honestly, I can't tell you. I don't even know what's wrong with you."

Hideto breathed as he thought. He wanted to know… he needed information. House was thinking the same thing. He wanted to do some more tests… perhaps take a look at his entire body instead of just his fluids.

His mind suddenly thought of something. House kept his mouth shut about his idea, but instead asked Hideto a few questions.

"When do you grow the most?" he asked.

Hideto paused for a moment. "I do not know. It seems random."  
"But when you sleep, you grow, right?"

Hideto nodded. "I do not seem to stop growing… no matter how much I try." He replied sadly. "And even now, I am outgrowing the shirt that the nurses made for me."

House chuckled. "We're gonna have to drape a tarp over you and call it a day." Hideto looked back at him curiously as House chuckled to himself. "Oh God…" House continued to chuckle for a few moments before something loud and rumbling stopped him.

Hideto turned red as he put a hand over his stomach. "I am hungry… I have not eaten in a while…" he replied, blushing. House shook his head and turned in time to see the garage door opening as Chase walked in, holding a bag and three coffee cups.

"Sorry I'm late, stupid guy in front of me was being a complete jacka-"

"How the hell are we supposed to feed him?" House had stood up to greet him and instead whispered harshly in his ear. Chase swallowed and blinked. "I… I'm not really sure…" he replied, handing House his coffee.

House snatched the coffee away and sipped at it, burning his eyes into Chase's head. "We need to feed him… and at his size… it's hard to tell how much food he'll need." He sighed and gazed back up at Hideto.

Hideto gazed back down at him intently. "I can just wait." He replied softly. "I do not need to eat right away…" House shook his head. "You need to eat. Every patient does." He sighed and sat down.

Chase walked up to the sitting Hideto and held his hand up to him, coffee in his palm. "I ordered you some too."

Hideto reached down and carefully took the cup. "It is…" his eyes were fixated upon the small object. "It looks like something… made for a doll house." He replied, holding the hot cup in his thumb and index finger.

"At your size, everything would seem like that." House said, taking another sip of his coffee. "It would seem as if you've grown again, judging by those stretch marks on your shirt."

Hideto paused and then looked down upon his chest. Indeed, he could feel his shirt getting tighter. If he stood at two stories tall before… then how big was he now? He swallowed, his mind filling with fear.

Chase took a sip of his own coffee, and dug his hand into the bag he had carried with him. "Here, it's something I picked up for you." He once again held his hand out to the giant.  
Hideto saw that Chase had picked up a bagel for him, in the hopes of cheering him up a bit. Hideto smiled softly. "You did not have to." He replied.

Chase smiled and chuckled. "I'll give you the tab later." Hideto stared at the two items in his hands. One was barely bigger then a thimble and the other was just a mere crumb. He sighed sadly and licked the bagel off his finger, eating it whole. Next came the coffee, which he had some trouble handling. He didn't like the fact that they had sealed it with the plastic cover, so he dug his nail into the side and propped it open, nearly spilling the entire thing.

Luckily, he caught the liquid as it spilled onto his palm, and found that even at the hot temperature that it was, he could hardly feel the burn. Hideto placed the lid down on the ground and took a single sip of his coffee, drinking all of it by accident.

When he looked into the cup after the first sip, he realized that there was none left and sat there, not knowing what to do. He didn't think he could finish something off that fast.

House turned once again to Chase. "You got any bright ideas?" Hideto's stomach rumbled again. He turned red and pouted. It was an innocent sound, but at his size, it sounded like a monster growling from the depths of a deep dark cave.

Chase swallowed and began to rattle his brains. "Alright well… we could order some food… take out or whatever."  
"That'll come out of your pay check."  
"What?"  
"I'm not paying for it." House said plainly. He leaned back in his chair. "It's comin' outta your paycheck, so deal with it."

Before Chase could say anything, he felt something against his arm. His eyes turned to see a gigantic finger brushing up against him. Hideto was looking down at him, pleading in his eyes.  
"I will give you my card if it will help." He said to Chase. Chase looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I am what you call… famous. I am the musician Hyde, and I believe that if I lend you my credit card, I can pay for whatever I have to eat to take care of myself." He replied, taking his hand away from Chase.

Chase looked up at him as a look of questioning aroused upon his face. "You don't have to; I mean… the hospital will-"

Before he could finish his words, Hideto held out a wallet to him. It was a normal sized wallet, but how Hideto managed to fish that thing out of his pocket Chase will never know. "Take it."  
Chase carefully took the wallet, slightly smiling. "You really do have a kind heart." He smirked. "She was right."

Hideto tilted his head. "Who?"

"Your girlfriend." Chase chuckled. "Well, I guess I'll be making some calls then." He walked back through the door and into the hospital, leaving House and Hideto alone in the garage.  
House turned to Hideto, who was just staring at himself. House watched as Hideto checked his entire body, counting the amount of stretch marks in his head. Hideto sighed and twitched his nose, a frown upon his face. Clearly, he was bored.

"Hideto… did you notice how high this ceiling was?" Hideto looked up above him and shook his head. "No." he replied.

House nodded. "Well… this ceiling is about forty feet in height, so when you reach the top, we'll know exactly how tall you are!"

Hideto's eyes burned with fury. "I do not want to get any bigger…" he muttered angrily, flicking a pebble that was near his finger. It sailed up and into the metal door, forming a hole.  
House swallowed as he saw the display of Hideto's strength. He felt the fear of Hideto being able to crush him fill his heart.

As his eyes turned back to the giant, he saw Hideto moving. House had to gaze for a few seconds before he realized that Hideto wasn't actually MOVING, but his body was just increasing in size.  
Hideto didn't seem to take notice as the slight change in volume continued because it was slow. The growth only lasted a few seconds, but House could see that he had definitely gotten larger.  
Time was running out.

House was about to speak when he heard Hideto talking. "Dr. House…" Hideto turned to the tiny doctor. "Are you… are you afraid of me?" he spoke softly, perhaps to make House feel more comfortable.

House cleared his throat and gazed up at him. "Why should I be?" Hideto licked his lips and answered. "Does it not scare you… that someone of my size could crush you, or perhaps squish you?"

House didn't reply to this, but stared at Hideto curiously. Hideto was sitting with his knees up against him, but now he was turned to House, his legs spread out in front of him. "I would be surprised…" he said, folding his legs in and raising himself.

"If you were not scared of my stature." Hideto began to get up upon his knee, and held House's gaze all the way while doing so. House had found his heart beating faster and faster with every movement Hideto took, and he even began to sweat a little.

Hideto finally rose himself to his full standing position, his massive form enough for the tiny doctor to gasp out loud. Hideto looked down at him from his height, and saw House squirm.  
"You ARE scared."

House couldn't help it. Hideto was just… so much BIGGER than him! He was HUGE! What could he do to possibly stop Hideto if he chose to squish him? House gulped, his saliva forming a clump in his throat.

Hideto took one step toward House, and that was enough to knock him on his back. The tremors that Hideto's weight carried were like an earthquake. His foot had come down softly, but it was still menacing, and it seemed like a stone.

House lay on the floor, gazing up at the massive form that was his patient. What was he to do? He scrambled backwards, his fear overtaking him and his heart pounding madly.

"Dr. House?" Hideto gazed steadily at him. "Dr. House… Are you alright? You fell over and I…" he saw House's fearful expression and immediately got down upon his knees. "Dr. House? What's wrong?" he gently reached out with his hand in an attempt to help the doctor back up upon his feet.

House unconsciously scrambled backwards even more, plastering himself against the concrete wall. Hideto's eyes saddened. "Please… do not be afraid… I am just trying to help…" he reached out more, and as his finger came in contact with House's body, House let out a yelp that made Hideto retract his hand.

Hideto's heart sunk as he backed away. "I…" he felt crushed. Nothing he did or said could possibly make House seem more comfortable around him. Hideo sat back upon his legs and held his eyes to the ground.

House slowly righted himself up against the wall and stared at Hideto. He knew that his yelp didn't make the giant feel any better about himself, but what other reaction was there then just to yelp out like that? When you were pinned against a wall and a giant hand is coming towards you, the reaction is to yelp.

House sighed and saw that his cane was near Hideto's hands. He looked down and then gathered up his usual sarcastic self. "Hey, mind helping a cripple?"

Hideto's eyes flew to House's face. He stared at him in confusion. How could House be talking to him like that after Hideto had nearly scared the crap out of him?

"Dr. House…" he began, a lump forming in his throat. House sighed. "It's getting cold on this floor." Hideto slowly smiled, and came closer to House, reaching out a hand to him. House gazed at his hand, which seemed to be just a floating mass of flesh.

Hideto motioned for him to get on. House shook his head. "Can't stand without my cane." He said plainly. Hideto nodded and came even closer, his entire body exactly three feet from House. House couldn't make out the body anymore, just masses of floating dark flesh all around him.  
He felt Hideto's hands cup around him as he was lifted upwards and towards the light.

Hideto had carefully shifted House's body so that he fit his fingers underneath him and slid the doctor into his palm, his back resting upon the logs that were his fingers. He held House in both hands so that the doctor didn't have to balance himself upon a single palm.

House fit comfortably in his palms, so comfortably in fact, that House could lay down upon it and go to sleep. Hideto's hand was like being in a heated beanbag cushion, with the curves and indents of his palm fitting perfectly to House's body.

Hideto lifted him up carefully to his face, gazing at him. "Are you alright?" he asked the doctor. "You fell off your chair."

House stared at the two orbs that were his eyes. They were huge, and he could only look at one at a time, for they were too far apart for him to look directly into both at the same time.

Hideto looked at him carefully. "Dr. House?" House managed a sigh and shifted himself. "I'm fine… a little beat up, but I think I'll live." He looked at the gigantic face that was Hideto. "Tell me something, why're you afraid of yourself?"

Hideto paused before answering. "I want to be gentle… I do not want to make myself seem like a monster. That is the last thing I want."

House chuckled and leaned back against Hideto's hand. "You know… this is really comfy." He nodded and patted Hideto's palm. "I could get used to this."

Hideto smiled warmly. "You have not slept yet, have you?" he asked the doctor. House shook his head. "Not really… more concerned about you." He pointed towards Hideto. Hideto chuckled and shifted his position so that he was once again sitting with his back against the wall and his legs spread out in front of him.

He shifted again and propped himself horizontal to the wall, so that he lay at a slight angle. He spoke again. "Do you trust me?"

House's face twisted. "What?"

"Do you trust me?" Hideto repeated. House blinked and nodded his head. "Yeah?" he replied, confused. Hideto smiled and tilted his hand, causing House to cry out in surprise.

He landed softly upon Hideto's chest, coming in contact with the warm softness. House gazed up from his sprawled position and into Hideto's eyes. Hideto leaned his head down and looked back at him. "You need to rest too… I do not want your mind to be blurry when you examine me." he stated, putting a hand over the doctor.

House felt the warm beating of Hideto's chest, and was lavishing in the warmth provided by Hideto's hand. He couldn't feel more at home. For some reason, being able to sleep on a giant was the most comforting thing for him. He didn't have to toss and turn because he was comfortable, and the masses of flesh around him were nice and warm.

House laid his head down upon the chest, and heard the low drums of Hideto's heart beat. It was somehow soothing to his ears, and his eyes quickly drooped.

"I could get used to this…" House murmured as he drifted off to sleep. Hideto smiled down at the doctor. He had trusted him, even when he was over ten times House's size, House still managed to crack jokes. Hideto would protect him, he knew that for sure. House had treated him like a human, and made him feel welcome. Even when he shied away from Hideto's mighty hand, he still found reason and courage to come back and let Hideto pick him up.

Hideto could feel his tiny body against his chest, and somehow in his heart he knew, House had become his friend.

Without even saying a word.


	18. Chapter 18

It was morning before she awoke. Kris hadn't noticed how tired she had become over the past couple of days, and it worried her that she slept late on this day. When she first got up, she expected her love to be lying down next to her, his brown eyes looking at her and asking what was for breakfast. She sighed when she realized that he was too big to even fit through the front door, and that he was still in that garage, waiting for her.

It was this that drove her. Her body rushed through the routine of getting ready, her mouth hardly chewing her breakfast and her hands flying to brush her hair quickly. Kris took some more time on her closet though, she wanted to make sure she looked nice for her honey, even if he WAS four times her size.

She had chosen a gray long sleeved dress that reached down to her knees, black leggings and knee high black boots. This way, she could express herself through her clothing, and wouldn't have to worry about what she might say by mistake. Kris took a breath of air before she started off in her rav4, heading off to see her love. She even bothered to put on mascara, her contacts, and her black eyeliner. She was going to make him happy.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was House still upon him. Hideto took a breath and slowly lifted his hand off the doctor. He was still sleeping peacefully upon his chest, snoring in a way. Hideto smiled and gently nudged him.

"Doctor House… Doctor House…" he said softly. "It is time to wake up." The memories of last night floated through his head as his eyes gazed around the garage. The Diagnostic Team were all sleeping in sleeping bags across the garage floor, still in their uniforms. Pizza boxes lay all in a heap in the corner of the garage. Hideto had eaten through at least forty of them before he got his fill of food. His heart filled with fear as he thought about his appetite and how that might affect the budget that they were on.

A groan snapped him out of his thought. "Uhh…" Hideto gazed back down to find House licking his lips and looking up at him. "Mornings are for people who care." He rolled over onto his side. "And I don't."

Hideto gave a small laugh and sat up, letting House fall softly onto his palm. "I want to get ready in case Kris comes." He stated, setting the doctor back down upon the ground. House yawned and cracked his back, motioning to Hideto. Hideto quickly got his cane and handed it to him, letting him rest a bit on his finger.

"Well… guess I have to go get ready too." He said, beginning to walk away. Hideto watched as the doctor made his way into the hospital. He sighed when House was gone and looked up at the ceiling which had gotten closer to him since the previous night. He wondered how long it would be before he had to leave this place too, and find somewhere else to wait. He shuddered at the memory of his nightmare, and not being able to fit anywhere.

A stirring caused him to return to reality. Thirteen was rising up and yawning. She rubbed her tired eyes and blinked a few times before turning her gaze to the giant that stared at her. He smiled softly.

"Good morning Hadley." He said, his voice warm and soft. Thirteen smiled back at him, and sat up. "And a good morning to you too Hideto." She said, stretching. She was about to get up and get ready for her day when she saw a finger raised out to her. "Allow me." the giant said, motioning for her to take hold. Hadley breathed and put one hand upon the massive flesh, and raised herself up easily. He took away his finger and nodded.

Hadley checked her beeper, and saw that no other patients need tending to. How long would they be able to keep him here? She gazed back up at him, thoughts filling her mind.

It was then that she realized that House was gone, and that Hideto looked slightly larger than before. She swallowed, thinking about how massive he could get. She decided it would be no use to dwell on things like this, and set her mind on what was most important. Taking care of Hideto.  
"Hideto," she began, looking up into his eyes. "Are you hungry? How did you sleep?" Hideto smiled. "I slept well, thank you. And I am not hungry, no. I will wait until Kris comes so we can eat together." He replied, gazing down at her.

Hadley nodded, and spoke again. "I'm going to go get ready… but if you need me-"

"Hadley, do not worry." He said, chuckling. "I will be fine." Hadley pursed her lips and turned, heading into the bathroom. She hoped that he was telling the truth.

Hideto saw the other doctors get up and get ready, and sighed to himself. How big was he going to grow? And how long will he have to stay cooped up in here? Sometimes, when he grew, he could feel his clothes getting tighter, and pain. But the pain had stopped a long time ago, and now all he could feel was the world around him getting smaller and smaller. He feared that one day he would wake up and everything would be too small for him to see.

Hideto shuddered again, and buried his head in his knees. He didn't want to think about it, but the reality was, if that did happen… what would he do? Would he die of overgrowth? Would his body shut down? What about Kris? What would she do? How could he love her if she was the size of an ant?

The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became, and the more hopeless he felt. He didn't want to grow, he never ASKED for it. It just… happened. He wanted to know what was making him this way, and what he could do to stop it. He knew that Hadley and House were doing their best but… how long would it take before he was back to normal?

"Hey." Hideto shook his head and looked down at the tiny voice. "Oh… Chase." Chase gazed up at him worriedly. "You alright? You look kinda pale." Hideto blinked and nodded. "Yes… yes I am fine." He said meekly, his eyes to the floor.

Chase put a hand on Hideto's immense column like leg. "Hey, if you need to talk, I'm your guy." He said, smiling. Hideto turned to him and nodded. "All right. I will."

Chase wasn't sure of what to do next, so he just got ready like the rest of the doctors. He really didn't want to upset Hideto more than he was, but the reality was, if he DID happen to grow too big… then what would they do?

As the doctors got ready, Hideto took the time to examine himself once again, feeling the pressure of growing out of his clothes upon him. He turned over his hand, and examined his legs. He took a mental note that his pants were now riding up to his ankles, and that his shirt had been raised another inch or so, to almost reveal his belly button. He swallowed hard. How big was going to get?

"Hideto?" Hideto turned to the sound. House sighed and gazed up at him. "How are you?" Hideto shrugged. "As always." He responded almost weakly. House nodded and clicked his lips, thinking. "How long has it been since you've had pain?"

"A while. Almost two days." House nodded again, moving his jaw back and forth, the wheels in his mind clicking and turning. Hideto watched him carefully, seeing him pace back and forth. "Do you mind if we run a few other tests?"

Hideto shook his head at the remark. "Not at all. If it will help me, that I will be more than happy to comply." House snapped his fingers, and almost instantly, Foreman and Hadley came to his side, freshened up and ready to work. "We need three tubes, all from the right arm, and then be sure to take a urine sample."

Foreman glared at him. "How are we supposed to do that?" House shrugged. "I don't know. It's never been done before." He put a hand on him. "It'll be good experience for you!" House left Foreman flabbergasted and walked over back into the hospital. This was certainly an interesting case.

Hadley held up her needle and gazed up at the giant who was Hideto. He gazed back at her expectantly. Hadley spoke. "I uh… I need a few…" Hideto nodded and held out an outstretched palm. Hadley backed up, eyeing the palm.

Hideto nodded his head. "Get on. You need blood samples right? Get on, and I'll hold you up while you take them." Hadley looked back up at him, seeing the certainty on his face. For some reason, she felt safe with him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, he trusted her too much. They had formed a bond, and it's almost as if they had become friends.

Hadley tucked her needle into her pocket and hesitantly put a foot on top of the palm. Hideto watched her in patience. "Be careful." Was all he said. Hadley nodded and slowly got on, getting down on all fours to balance herself upon his palm. When she was seated and ready, Hideto lifted her up gently, holding her face height. "Are you alright?" he asked, gazing at her softly.  
Hadley was scared out of her mind, but her pride was too much for her to lose. She simply nodded and swallowed. She had never been in the palm of anyone or anything before, so of course her body was trembling. Soon though, she found that sitting in his palm was like sitting in a heated beanbag chair, much like what House felt. Hideto was kind, and his heart was soft. She could trust him.

Hideto had rolled up his sleeve and was ready for her to take his blood. "Will you be alright standing?" he asked her. Hadley sighed and breathed. "I think I'll be alright. I just need to find a good balancing position." Hideto nodded and bought her over to his arm. "If anything happens, I will be right here."

Hadley turned to him in surprise. Hideto breathed. "I will not let you get hurt. Not as long as I am this size." Hadley could feel the warmth burning in her heart. He really was gentle.  
She attempted to stand up upon his palm, getting up slowly upon her knees, and then finally to her feet. It wasn't easy balancing herself on high heels, so she decided to take her shoes off, and stand barefoot.

She tossed her shoes aside and stood back up again, this time, gaining her balance almost instantaneously. "That's better." She muttered, taking out her needle and disinfecting his arm with a cotton ball.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hideto watched as she inserted the needle into his skin. He didn't even feel the prick, but saw his blood come out. It was almost as if he had a bug bite, and the bug was a flea. Hadley was standing upright in his palm. She looked like a Barbie doll to him. How tall was she in his eyes? Maybe a foot? Less than that? He wasn't even sure anymore.

"Hadley?" Hadley turned to him. "Yes?" she replied, taking out the third and final tube. Hideto swallowed. "How… how did… what…" he paused. "Was Kris… alright last night?"

Hadley thought before she answered him. "She… she misses you." She replied, bandaging his arm and sealing the tubes away. "She misses you terribly." Hideto nodded, thinking. "And I miss her."

Hideto bought Hadley back around to his face, his eyes filled with sadness. "I do not want her to worry… I will be fine here… I just… I just want her to be happy…" he shook his head. "Who am I kidding? I messed up… I messed up everything…" Hadley looked into his brown eyes, which were quickly watering.

"Hideto…" she began. "It isn't your fault…. Please… just calm down…" Hideto shuddered and shook his head. "I cannot…" he stopped, his eyes turning from sadness to concern. "Hadley…" he began, pushing her closer to his chest.

She was taken by surprise and fell down upon his palm, looking around. "What's going on? What's wrong?" she shouted. Hideto shook his head. "Hadley… please, just trust me!" she remained silent and stayed in his palm, gazing around frightfully.

Hideto looked up and into the door to the hospital. "House!" he shouted. His voice rolled through the empty garage like thunder and boomed into the small room. Hadley covered her ears and held her head down. His voice itself was enough to make her tremble.

Slowly, very slowly, she felt the ground beneath her moving. Hadley put a hand out to steady herself, but it seemed as if the flesh all around her was getting further and further away. "Hideto?" she shouted, trying to contain her fright.

Hideto could feel his body pushing, pushing through the pants, and pushing through the shirt. His chest barreled out and ripped apart the shirt, tearing it to pieces. His shoes were long gone due to his expanding feet and his pants were putting up a fight. They wrapped around his thighs before breaking open and shrank into shorts.

Hadley was inside his ever expanding palm, and held her head down, not wanting to fall out. It seemed as though the space around her got even more spacious as he grew, only scaring her more. He was still getting bigger.

When at last his growth ended, Hideto could feel Hadley's tiny form in his palm. "Hadley?" he asked softly, his voice a mere rumble now. He opened up his palm and saw the tiny Hadley, cowering in the center of his palm. His eyes widened as his brain calculated how small she was to him.

Four inches, that's all she was. She was four inches tall to him. Then what did that mean for him? Hideto took a deep breath and looked down at her. "Are you okay?" Hadley slowly gazed up at him, the fear of his size getting to her. He was so big to her… his body was God-like, and his muscles didn't help.

Hadley could only nod and stare up into his eye, the massive orb hovering above her. Hideto blinked and sighed. "Hadley… I grew again." He said sadly. "I do not know when I will stop…" his voice was filled with sorrow, and so was his heart.

The tiny doctor in his hand swallowed and spoke to him. "We'll figure out a way to stop this growth… I'm sure of it." Hideto gazed back at her and nodded half heartedly. "I just-" his words were stopped by a sound his ears picked up. "What is that?"

House had returned and watched his growth happen in front of him. He was amazed at the rate of it, about three inches per second. What amazed him even more was that Hideto's body stayed in proportion. He was exactly the same as when he was when he was small. His muscles were perfect, his legs and torso hadn't extended, and his structure was unchanged. It was just everything that grew together.

He approached the massive giant and looked up. "Looks like you grew again." Hideto snapped out of his trance and glanced back down at the doctor. "Yes… it seems I am larger now…"

House took a good look at him. "You've grown about twenty feet I'd say, and it looks like you'll need a new pair of clothes." Hideto nodded slightly and gazed at Hadley in his hand. "Hadley… was with me the entire time." He said, setting the doctor back down softly.

Hadley stepped off his palm and stared House in the eye. "You have no idea what it was like in there…" she murmured. "His entire body was moving! Moving! It felt as if I was in the ocean and the currents were moving all around me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it…"  
"But then there's the issue of how far his skin can stretch before it goes poof." House responded almost nonchalantly. Hadley was about to reply when their ears caught the same sound as Hideto's did. "What?" they whirled around in time to see the garage doors opening.

Hideto got on his knees and moved over to where House and Hadley were, bending down to talk to them. "Who are they?"

House swallowed and replied back to the giant. "Well… they're the police." He said, shifting his feet. "And this means we're screwed."


	19. Chapter 19

The cars came in droves. House sighed and shifted his feet again calmly. "What the hell do they want?"

Hadley stood beside him, swallowing and licking her lips. She was in total shock. How had they found him? Who told them that Hideto was here with them?

"Nobody move!" a single policeman came up and pointed a gun at both House and Hadley.  
House breathed and spoke. "Look, we don't want any trouble, but this is-"  
"Quiet!" screamed the officer, pointing his gun at Hideto now, who stared back at him in confusion. "What the hell is that thing?" the officer shouted.

House clicked his tongue and replied back to him curtly. "THAT, my good sir, would happen to be my patient." The officer glanced back up at Hideto, who remained silent. "That THING is not your patient!"

"If you would let me explain-"

"Quiet! Hands up!" the officer screamed out orders to them, hoping to relieve himself of the fear that was creeping up in his heart. Hideto frightened him, and it frightened the other officers so much they couldn't even enter the garage. They stayed outside in their cars, putting the yellow tape around the perimeter, blocking off the rest of the people who were slowly gathering outside.  
Hideto found it hard not to shy himself away into the shadows.

House and Hadley put their hands up, Hadley's eyes filled with fear and House thinking.  
The other doctors had returned as well, but they were stuck behind the immense amount of police who infiltrated the scene.

"What do we do?" asked Cameron, staring into the garage.

"Hope for the best." Replied Taub, who rubbed his temples. "There's nothing we really CAN do at this point, somehow, someone called the police, and then they showed up. It's up to House and T-"

"Not necessarily." All the doctors turned to Foreman, who stood in his doctor suit, patient and thinking. "The police aren't going to directly contact Mr. Takarai himself, they're too afraid of his size to even think of challenging him to any sort of frontal assault. What they need, is time. That's why they surrounded the area. They need time to think of how to deal with him. Instead of solving the problem, they're just compensating for it."

"So what can we do?" asked Chase, nervously breathing and thinking at the same time. Foreman paused, and rerouted his thoughts. There HAD to be a way to cure Hideto… no disease has ever gone without a proper diagnosis. Something like this could prove deadly to him, and so far, the Diagnostic Team never lost anybody. They weren't about to start to.

"Alright…." Foreman leaned in close and spoke in a whisper. "Everyone gather around. I have an idea…"

House clicked his tongue again. "What do you plan to do?" he asked the officer, who was still staring up at Hideto's huge form.

The officer swallowed. "It's not for me to answer!" he replied, still holding his gun up. "And don't move! Tell me what the hell that thing is!"

"I already told you." House spoke as if he was talking to someone retarded. "That's my patient. We need to treat him."

"Like hell you do! That ain't no human!"

Hideto flinched at these words. He pursed his lips and gazed down towards the ground. Nobody understood what he was going through.

House sighed and spoke again. "Look, if you could just give us some time we could figure out what's wrong with him and-"

The officer butted House with the back of his gun, making him cry out in pain. "God!" House fell to his good knee, and then sunk to the ground, writhing. Hideto's eyes widened as his heart filled with anger.

Hadley gasped, but kept her distance, frightened of what the officer might do to her. "Now," the officer said evenly, "Come with me. We're putting you in question until further notice." He then looked back up at Hideto. "And that THING in custody!"

Hadley shook her head. "We can help him! Just let us-"

The officer took Hadley in a harsh hold, forcing her to cry out in pain. Hideto could take it no more, his heart was pumping with fury and his eyes were mad as hell. "Get away from her!" he shouted, his voice booming through the small space.

The officer was so taken aback that he fell upon his back, dropping his gun at the impact and scrambled backwards. He gasped and gazed up at the furious Hideto, who was glaring down at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hideto spotted the rest of the police and armed forces raise their guns at him. He growled and swiftly put a hand to Hadley. "Hadley, are you alright?" he asked softly.

The doctor gazed back up at him, rubbing her arm with her hand and nodding. "Yes… what about House?" with his other hand, Hideto gently picked up House, holding him in his palm. "Are you hurt badly House?"

House shook his head, writhing slightly. "I'll live." He said rolling his eyes. "Damn cops don't know what the hell they're doing."

"P-Put him down!" Hideto's attention was diverted to the small man on his back, staring frightfully up at him. Hideto blinked and held a straight face.

"P-Put him down I-I said!" the officer literally shook with fright, and couldn't utter a word without stuttering. Hideto shook his head, glaring down at him. "Make me."

With a single swoop, he picked up Hadley in the same hand, and stood up, heading for the open garage door.

"It's loose!" orders rang through the air, and guns were fired. Hideto didn't pay any attention to the guns that were pointed at him. The only thing he wanted to do was get the hell out of that garage and to someplace that was peaceful.

His long legs carried him over to the cops, who were shooting at him, but missing terribly due to their shaking arms. "Get out of my way!" he thundered, lifting a foot to step over them.  
Most of the policemen ducked, a few ran, and some others just held their heads, hoping for the best. With a single step, Hideto overstepped them all, and into the street. He ducked his head low, emerging from the darkness of the garage. His eyes were momentarily blinded by the sun's rays, his right hand coming up and covering his face.

"Hideto!" his ears caught Hadley's frightened cry as the men behind him raised their guns once again. Hideto growled and turned away, his legs carrying them far away from the police who soon gave chase to the moving giant.

"Don't loose him!" Hideto clutched the two doctors in his hand tightly as he broke into a sprint, stepping over cars and being careful not to crush anyone or anything on his way.

Many people turned their heads to stare at him. Children cried out, women screamed, and men ran in the opposite direction, or pinned themselves against the buildings.

It was then that Hideto measured how tall he was. His head measured exactly equal to that of a five story apartment building. One story meant ten feet, and five times ten…  
_I'm fifty feet tall._ He said to himself, his heart racing and his legs pumping. _Kris…. Where are you?_

Soon, Hideto came upon a small park in a clearing, and hearing the sirens behind him, decided to hide amongst the trees. He ducked low, his body almost completely covered in the leaves and branches.

The cars screeched to a halt, the men looking around and searching. "It couldn't have gotten far, c'mon!" a few men stood around, searching some more, moving through the park. "C'mon! It's too big to fit in here!" they were called back, and eventually, the sirens died down in the distance, Hideto finally taking a breath.

He opened up his hand and looked down. House and Hadley were completely unharmed, but they weren't unaffected. Hadley was frazzled, and House was in a state of semi-shock.  
Hideto got down upon his knees quickly and set them down, gazing at them. "I had to escape… I do not know what they would have done if I remained in there…" he said softly, looking away. "They are probably just coming after me…"

Hadley was sitting down, trying to compose herself. "It's fine…" she breathed, her heart racing and her mind a blank. House was the one who said something reasonable first.  
"What we need to do, is get your blood in the DNA sampler, then extract it, and perform a diagnostic on it… get everything read and over with."

Hideto nodded, breathing in. "Hadley, do you still have the tube?" Hadley reached into her pocket, her hand shaking. She pulled out the small tube, and licked her lips. "Yes… Yes I have it."

Her voice was trembling, and her body was still shaking. Hideto paused, and then spoke. "Hadley… it is alright." She gazed up at him, her eyes wide. "You were afraid, I understand." He leaned down closer and stroked her back with a single finger. "I told you. I would protect you. No matter what."

His soft and kind words pierced Hadley's heart, making her body still and her heart calm. For some reason, she felt safe with him. She breathed in and gave a small smile. "You're right."  
Hideto smiled back at her, and then turned to House, his smile fading and his expression serious. "How would we get back to the hospital? The police are everywhere, searching for me. And I am too big to wander around the city."

House paused, thinking. His jaw clicked as the wheels in his mind turned and grinded.  
"I thought you'd never ask."

Hideto looked up to see Chase standing there, a smile upon his face. "Hey big guy." Hideto's heart swelled. "Chase…"

"We have a plan, don't worry." Foreman and Taub stepped forward, both of them gazing up at him. Foreman glanced at House. "We'll take the blood back to the lab, the police don't know about all of us. Their lead is him," he referred to Hideto. "And if he stays hidden, then they'll have nothing to chase."

"So where do we put him?" Hadley asked. "And where's Cameron?"

"Cameron is trying to locate where exactly Kristiana is, and hopefully, bring the two together." Hideto's eyes lit up. "Kris? She's here?"

"She called in this morning. The last time she was seen, she was driving her car down to the hospital, but that's all I heard. She could be stopped by the police."

Hideto growled, but restrained himself. "Did she say where she was?"

"She was about ten to fifteen minutes away, give or take. The point is, we'll find her. And if we find her," Foreman smiled warmly. "I think we'll have less trouble taking care of you."  
Hideto turned red and looked away. "I suppose…"

House spoke. "In case anyone hasn't noticed, that officer fucked up my knee here." He pointed towards his one good knee, which was slowly swelling.

"I'll take you back to the hospital to have a splint put on." Foreman replied, gazing at him. "It's a good thing Mr. Takarai stepped in." Hideto's ears perked. "What?"

Foreman nodded. "Had it not been for you, Hadley and House would have been arrested, and we would have nothing to diagnose."

Hideto paused, for the first time feeling helpful in the situation he was in. "I… I could not just sit there and let them… be taken away…" he gazed at them. "They promised to help me… and that's what they will do."

House nodded to him, getting back up upon his feet, with a little help from his giant friend. Hideto held him carefully with a single finger, looking at Hadley. "Where will Hadley go?"  
"She'll come with me. We need to get this evaluated." Hideto nodded, handing House to the silent Taub, who had come along with them to help out.

Chase was the only one left. "I'll stay here with you, just to make sure that you're going to be alright." Hideto turned to him. "Will Cameron bring Kris here?" Chase nodded. "She should know where we are. I called her."

Hideto breathed in, looking at the doctors. "Alright." He said, his heart swelling up with confidence. "I put my life, in your hands doctors."

The Diagnostic Team gazed back up at him, hope filling them, and driving them forward. "Alright." Hadley said. "Move out!"

"Slow down!"

Kris pressed down harder on the gas pedal, Cameron nearly flying out of her seat. "I need to get to him!" Cameron held onto whatever she could. This girl was nuts.

Kris drove her Rav4 like a professional, not even stopping for red lights. The police had no idea she was breaking the law merely because they were too busy looking for the giant who disappeared from their sight.

"The park right? Chase said the park?" Cameron nodded feebly, her stomach churning and nausea filling her very being. "I think I'm going to be sick…"

At long last, mercy fell upon her when the blue car was stopped, and the driver parked in front of a lonely bench on the sidewalk. She had run over three garbage cans, two mailboxes, and a few squirrels trying to get to where her love was. Kris unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out. "Come on!"

Cameron leapt out of the car and practically kissed the ground. It never felt so good to be still.

Chase glanced up at Hideto, who was sitting cross legged on the soft grass, the trees barely covering his head. "Hey."

Hideto turned to him. "Hey."

Chase paused, gathering his thoughts. "When all this is over… what do you intend to do?"  
Hideto sat for a moment, letting his thoughts wander. "I want to marry her." he responded, his eyes falling upon the grass. "I want to express my love to her… and to confirm it, I must marry her."

The doctor nodded, his thoughts wandering around like the giant's. Suddenly, he felt like he was five years old. How cool would it be…

"Mr. Takarai?"  
"Yes?"  
"Uhm… can you just…" Hideto waited. "Can I…?" Chase chuckled. "I know it sounds silly, but can you… pick me up?"

Hideto blinked. "Pick you up?" Chase nodded. "As a kid, I always wondered what it would feel like to get picked up by a giant… or even get lifted high in the air." Hideto gazed down at him. "You want me to do that?"

Chase cleared his throat, nervousness overcoming him. "If you don't mind that is…." Hideto shook his head. "No, not at all."

Chase gasped when the giant leaned down, putting his hand softly around Chase. "Relax, I will not hurt you." Chase swallowed, and held onto the fingers that held him gently. Slowly, he was lifted off the ground.

It felt like he was in an elevator, and his world was shifting. He looked down to see the ground getting further and further away from him, his vision filling with green leaves and branches.  
Hideto opened up his palm, letting Chase sit upon it. The tiny doctor breathed in joyfully, his heart racing as his mind struggled to intake everything around him. "Wow…" Hideto held him face height, gazing at him steadily. "This is what you wanted, right?"

Chase nodded vigorously, his body nearly trembling with joy. "This is… this is…" he was at loss for words. Hideto spoke again. "How does it feel?"

The doctor turned around to him, now seeing Hideto's face up close. Hideto's skin was smooth as baby skin, and his eyes were beautiful round brown orbs. He was the epitome of perfection.  
"It feels… like I'm a bird." Chase replied, staring at him. "It just… it feels awesome." Hideto smiled sadly. "Imagine being stuck like this for a week."

Chase realized Hideto's words. Because of his condition, Hideto couldn't stop growing, and his vision was always getting smaller and smaller. Everything around him seemed like he was a bird, and possibly even further than that. The blond man bit his lip.

"We're gonna help you, Hideto. Don't you worry about it." He said reassuringly. "You're in the right hands."

Hideto chuckled and pat Chase's head with a finger. "I think I already know that." He leaned down, gently setting the doctor down upon the ground. "I trust you, just as I trust Hadley and House. If there is anyone who can cure me, it is you."

Chase was about to speak when a rustling was heard in the bushes behind him. He whirled around, his hair standing on end. "What was that?"

A young girl dressed in a grey overdress and black boots ran into him, stopping in front of Hideto.

"Hideto…"

His eyes lit up as his heart pounded. "Kristiana!"


	20. Chapter 20

She ran to him, her eyes closed and her legs pumping. The giant gazed down at her, never having been so happy in his entire life. He caught her in midrun and lifted her to his face, kissing her all over and caressing her gently.

She nuzzled and kissed him back, her eyes filling with tears of joy. "Oh Hideto…" she whispered, kissing his cheek.

Hideto gazed back down at his love, his heart filling and boiling over with happiness. "I missed you." He said, kissing her again.

His lips covered her head as she kissed him back, only kissing his bottom lip. She smiled up at him softly. "Looks like you've grown a lot Hide."

Hideto smiled back gently. "I have…" he chuckled and pet the tiny girl's head with his finger. "And it seems like my little kitten has turned into a little diamond." Kris blushed and grasped his finger, hugging it gently.

Chase cleared his throat and gazed up at the two lovers. Hideto looked downwards, staring at him. Kris blinked and gazed down as well.

"Sorry to interrupt the little moment but… we do have a situation at hand." Kris nodded, snapping herself back into the reality. Hideto gazed at her softly, his eyes never leaving her body. "I missed you so much Kris…you do not know." Kris turned to him, a smile upon her face. "I'm back Hideto. It's going to be alright now."

Cameron gazed up at them, staring. "Hadley was right…" she whispered to Chase. The man looked at her. "What?"

"Hadley had said that they were deeply in love… she was right." Cameron replied, her eyes glued to the two lovers. "Their size difference doesn't affect them at all. Did you see the way she ran to him and embraced him? And the way he grasped her in his hand? They're so gentle with one another…. Nothing is hidden."

Chase smiled a little as his eyes turned back to the lovers. "I guess… it's the best thing for him right now." Cameron turned her head. "The last thing he needs is change, and for Kris to act as if nothing happened and treat it as a joke… she's doing him a favor."

Cameron blinked, her mind wandering and thinking. She then chuckled and smiled, her eyes shining and smiling. "I guess you're right." She said finally, shifting her feet. "And if they're together… nothing can separate them."

"Watch it!" Hadley's fingers flew over the keys, the tests running silently and the machine whirring. House grimaced as Foreman sighed and splinted his leg, straightening it. "You're supposed to be a doctor damnit!"

Foreman rolled his eyes as House continued to complain, the leg finally getting inside the cast. House gazed up at Hadley in thought.

They had made it safely back to the hospital without a hitch. The police had left in pursuit of Hideto, and since they couldn't find him, the only choice they had was to keep searching. They weren't going to stop until they found him.

The hospital was silent, almost too silent, and as House thought, he could actually FEEL his thoughts echoing off the walls of his skull. He needed a vacation…

"House." House's eyes lit in attention. "Yeah?" he asked, standing up. "Hey!" House ignored Foreman's cry and walked over to Hadley… well… hobbled would be a better word. He stood at her side, gazing at the machine. "Lemme guess…"

Hadley nodded. House pounded his fist in the machine, causing it to spark slightly. Hadley took no notice of that little outburst and merely stared at the frustrated House. It was getting to him. This was one of those rare cases in which he didn't know what he was up against… and often times this meant that he was going to give it over to Hadley. She wasn't prepared for it either.  
House breathed in fury, his eyes racing and his mind thinking. "If it's not in the blood… then what is it?" he yelled out in anger, his body shaking with it. Hadley gazed at him quietly. They didn't know what to think.

"We could run some more tests," offered Taub. "And maybe a… a radiation test… or maybe a-"  
"We don't have that kind of time!" House screamed back, turning to the surprised doctor. "By the time tomorrow comes, he'll be one hundred feet tall! Or who knows? He could be taller than that!"

"House…" House sat down hastily at a nearby couch and rolled his eyes. "Anyone have any beer? I need a drink."

Hadley sat down next to him, her eyes gazing into his. Foreman remained silent, but reviewed the sheet of data collected from the blood. Taub remained silent, seeing as right now, there was no dealing with House.

Hadley sat there thinking. Hideto hadn't had any signs of diseases, or illness, or anything. He had simply… grown. That was it. Growth was a hard thing to come by, and from the studies done at local colleges, it was something necessary for all living things needed to survive.

As her brain ticked, she reflected upon the past few days. Normally, a change like that would alter someone's personality; their very being would be affected. The only affect that Hideto seemed to have was on his very consciousness. He couldn't take being large all the time, nevertheless have a girlfriend one twelfth his size. It was then that she had a thought.  
"House…" House gazed at her, his eyes bored and his mind a final blank. "What?" he asked plainly. She had just realized…

"Remember when Kris first bought him in here?" House nodded slightly, still bored. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

"She said that he had been having pain in his head, remember?" she went on, hope rising in her chest. House blinked for a few moments, and sat up, his mind wheels turning now, the thought process making its' way into his head.

"And if he has pain in his head…" he gazed at Hadley, who looked back at him with the same determination. They both knew what had to be done. This wasn't over yet, not by a long shot.

The two lovers had never been closer. Kris was in Hideto's hand, him holding her like a precious little doll. She gazed up at him, her head upon his chest. Hideto was sitting down cross legged, Kris in his hand and up against his chest. He had never felt so at peace.

Chase and Cameron looked on, their eyes glued to the two lovers. "She isn't phased at all…." Chase nodded. "I know, it seems like she's handling this better than he is."

The night was soon approaching, and Hideto wasn't going to let Kris sleep alone. Chase and Cameron had prepared thankfully, they had prepared a tent with supplies in case of emergency. It was primitive and dirty, but it would get the job done.

The tent was pitched, and the fire was set. Luckily, Hideto hadn't grown at all during the few hours they spent there, so when it came time to sleep, he didn't have any trouble lying down upon the soft grass and spreading himself out.

He was big yes, but the park was bigger. The trees covered him well, even from a bird's eye view. Kris had been placed on the ground, and as she got undressed, she wondered how Hideto would feel if she slept in the tent.

Chase got into his pajamas, which were, thankfully, not just his boxers. He gazed at Kris, who was staring out at her love. He put a soft hand on her shoulder. "Hey." Kris turned to him, her eyes wide and shimmering. "Yes?"

He smiled at her, his eyes soft. "This tent… it only has enough room for two people." Kris stared at him for a moment, her eyes tracing him and her thoughts wandering. Slowly, she smiled at him. "Chase…" he chuckled and pat her back, turning to leave. Kris giggled and ran out of the tent, her footsteps echoing in the distance.

"It's only enough room for two people?" Chase turned towards the woman in her bra, gazing at him. "What?" he replied, his hands on his head. "I couldn't think of anything else!" Cameron was smiling as she put her pajamas on. The tent was warm, and spacious. Enough for three people.

He gazed up at the stars. Even though his height had changed, they still remained the same. The stars that would always glow bright in the sky above, and would always remain the same distance from him, from no matter where he stood.

"Hideto?" he heard a tiny voice calling him. He smiled and turned his head, his eyes gazing at Kris lovingly. "Yes?"

Kris stood there in the moonlight, her figure outlined in her pajamas. She gazed up at the moon. She smiled and spoke. "It's a beautiful moon… isn't it Hideto?" Hideto nodded, and replied to her. "The same moon we fell in love under."

Kris nodded, her heart beating fast and her eyes shimmering in the moonlight. Hideto propped himself up upon his elbow to look at her from eye level. "You always look beautiful." He said, his hand coming towards her.

She didn't flinch away from him, but instead, walked towards his hand, and embraced his fingers gently. Kris kissed his pointer finger, her head nuzzling it. "I missed you so much Hideto."  
Hideto smiled back at her, his heart warming and pumping with her very touch. "I missed you too… my little kitten."

Kris's eyes changed, and Hideto knew what was coming. She walked away from him, swinging her hips back and forth, her ass right in his face. That plump bottom of hers got his throat dry as he swallowed, never thinking that he could be aroused by such a small thing.

His heart began to race, as it always did when she teased him. Kris turned her head over her shoulders and bent her back, so that her bosom was out and about. "Meow." She purred, stripping herself of her top, and exposing the little sexy bra underneath it.

Hideto was now even more aroused, not by the fact that she was small, but seeing her like this always aroused him. He swallowed again, his eyes glued to those little globes that he had claimed as his own.

Kris shook her head and breathed in, licking her lips and walking back towards him, her hips swinging and her pants coming off to reveal her lingerie. Hideto bit his lower lip to keep him from whistling from excitement.

"Hideto…"

She was calling to him, and he was in no position to ignore her pleas. He may have been bigger than her, but she was always the one in control of him. He was her plaything and he knew better than to mess with her. He smiled.

"I am coming little one."

Chris was trying to sleep, but all he could hear were the troughs of passion echoing in his skull. He tossed and turned, stuffing his pillow on his head and trying to block out the sound.

"Having a hard time sleeping?"

The man turned towards the sound, and saw Cameron smirking at him. The tent was warm, but it wasn't sound proof. "It seems like those two are having fun." She stated, her eyes only a glimmer in the dark.

"Yeah..." he breathed and sighed, turning again. "But do they have to be so loud?" Cameron laughed and turned over herself, Chase glaring at her. "I'm serious!"

She smiled as her laughter died down, gazing upwards towards the top of the tent. "Let them have their fun." She added, looking back at him. "When will be the next time that she's as small as a mouse to him?"

It was morning before he awoke. Hideto's eyes opened slowly as he licked his dry lips, his mind slowly waking up.

Beneath his hand he felt a little figure with curves. He smiled as his brain registered who it was.  
Kris was still fast asleep, naked in his palm, and covered by it. Hideto smiled and sat up, Kris falling into his hand and still sleeping. "You are a heavy sleeper." He said, chuckling. "You always were."

He dressed her in her pajamas again, carefully pulling them onto her so that they wouldn't rip at his touch. Hideto raised her to his lips and kissed her body, licking at her slightly. "Kris… Kris…"

The tiny girl awoke at his booming voice, her body wriggling. Her beautiful eyes opened and gazed up at him, her mouth widening into a smile. "Since when did I get my own personal kissing alarm clock?"

Hideto smiled and chuckled. "Since now." He replied, nuzzling her. Kris squealed and hugged his nose, his heat warming her.

They gazed at the morning sun together, their hearts beating as one and their minds thinking.  
"Morning you two." Hideto gazed down at the tiny voice and saw Chase waving up at him. "You didn't forget me now did you?"

Hideto smiled and shook his head. "Of course not." He replied, setting Kris down next to him. Cameron appeared out of the tent, rubbing her eyes and checking her cell phone. "I have a call from Hadley."

Chase's face turned serious as he looked at her. "What is it?" Kris turned to her as well, the same look on her face.

Cameron paused. "We're going back to the hospital."


	21. Chapter 21

He was standing on the edge of the rooftop, gazing out at the city before him. It was a nice city, New York. Trains, subways, and all of that nonsense. The only thing that wasn't perfect about it was the fact that an overgrown Japanese man was hiding out in Central Park.

That… he had to fix.

"House!" he turned around, his cane coming to a stop on the concrete roof and his eyes turning to the woman who spoke to him. "House, she got the call." She paused. "They're coming."  
The man nodded his head, swallowing and letting his mind wander. It was true yes; Hideto was the epitome of miracle in terms of the health field. He had grown to proportions that no other human had ever reached before, and now he was going around the city, looking for a way to get back to his normal size. The last thing he needed was more stress upon his shoulders.

And for some reason, that never came easily.

House gazed back out through the barbed wire fence surrounding the rooftop, and into the city. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the dawn of a new day was upon him. He wondered where Hideto might have gone to this morning…

Hideto paused for a moment, and glanced down at Cameron. He was upon his knees, trying to shield himself from on looking eyes and curious people. He wanted to hide, and as much as he would have liked to just run away, he knew that the answer to his problems laid within the boundaries of the hospital that Kris was going to take him to.

They had discussed a plan, but whether or not this plan was going to be effective was the issue. Hideto was much too big to walk around the city and not be noticed, so they had to figure out a way to transport him in secrecy.

This is where Foreman came in.

Foreman knew a man who owed him a debt, for what the doctors could never figure out, but for the moment, it was sufficient. It was a large hauling truck, those used for carrying large ships or cargo around.

Chase had taken the opportunity to measure Hideto once again, and had found that he had grown about a foot during the night, which meant that the growth wasn't slowing down at all.  
Hideto now measured at a good fifty one or some odd feet. If he were to grow any larger, the doctors wouldn't have been able to order a hauling truck, for he would have been too massive to perfectly fit.

Luckily for them, Hideto wasn't growing during the day, and had stayed the same size. Hideto blamed himself for this occurrence, and it took the many kisses of his girlfriend to calm him down and make his heart slow. He always blamed himself for these things.

Hideto leaned in closer to Cameron, whispering as much as he could. "Cameron… when will he be here?"

The startled woman glanced up at the giant, and nearly fell backwards. She still wasn't completely used to being this close to something so massive, and her heart nearly stopped quite a few times.

Hideto gazed at her silently, waiting for an answer. Cameron swallowed her fear, and spoke back to him. "H-He'll be here soon…" she replied, ruffling her hair and breathing in deeply. He scared the be-jesus out of her.

The giant nodded, and sat back up, gazing into the streets of New York, and hoping that the truck would come around the bend soon, so that he could erase this horrific nightmare.

Kris was right by his leg, her hand upon his gigantic one, and her eyes gazing where his eyes were. Chase was the only one walking about, his body pacing back and forth, eager and anxious. He was nervous as well, he had done some calculations the previous night, and if his hunch was correct… Hideto was due for another growth spurt.

At long last, the truck had arrived. It was inconspicuous, as the truck was labeled with a Shop Rite logo and had colorful drawings plastered all over it. It was the last thing anybody was expecting.

Hideto sighed when it pulled up, the black man jumping out of the driver's seat and walking towards the back, opening the trunk. "He'll fit right in here. We have to do this quickly though, I don't want to attract attention."

Kris gazed up at her love, and motioned for him to pick her up. He held out his hand and felt as she got on, lifting her to his face. "What is it?"

"I want to stay with you, Hideto."

He smiled at her sadly, kissing her head. "I understand, but I think it is best if you stay with the others. I do not want you getting hurt in the cargo trunk."

Kris was about to protest when he placed her back down upon the ground, her hands still gripping onto his finger. He pulled away softly, stroking her hair. "I will be fine."  
She smiled up at him, her eyes shining brightly. "Alright Hide. I trust you." The man nodded and gazed back at the doctors who were preparing the truck. He was silent, but in his mind, he was shouting and screaming. He wanted to get his over with, and the faster he got to the hospital, the faster he would shrink back to normal.

He hoped.

"Alright, you can get in."

Foreman addressed him, and Hideto nodded, breathing in and crawling past the few people standing near him. "Be careful." He turned his head to see Kris gazing up at him, smiling and waving him in. "Go on."

Hideto smiled back at her, and then proceeded to climb into the truck. It was spacious and Hideto found that if he crawled in all the way, he could sit in the back and have his head up against the ceiling. He wasn't that big, but he was big enough.

Once he was in, the other doctors settled in the front, and locked the doors. They weren't about to have any suspicions placed upon them. Foreman and Cameron were already in the front, and they were waiting for Chase.

Chase was in the back, making sure Hideto was alright. "You okay in there?" Hideto was sitting cross legged in the truck, his head up against the ceiling, but his body okay with the position. "A little cramped, but I will be alright." Chase smiled and chuckled. "You were never one to complain." With that, he shut the door and proceeded to the front, sitting down next to Foreman and Cameron.

"He says he's alright." He replied, buckling himself in and settling down. Cameron nodded and breathed. "How long do we have?" she asked quietly, not to let the giant in the rear hear her.  
"About thirty minutes. I wish we had more time…"

"How long will it last?"

"Usually doesn't last long… ten… twenty minutes?"

Cameron breathed in again, her mind racing and her heart pounding. They would have to get to the hospital before he grew again, and that thirty minute window of opportunity was slowly closing.

Her eyes glanced at Foreman, and then back at Chase. Something was wrong, but it was already too late to tell, Foreman was driving the truck into the street and was at a light. "Where's Kristiana?"

"You should not have done that." A little girl peeked out from beneath his hand and smiled up at him. "I told you I was going with you!"

Hideto sighed and picked her up, placing her upon his knee. "We have to wait now, while they drive." Kris sat down comfortably, looking at Hideto's eyes. She gazed at him lovingly, and spoke.

"What's it like, Hide." He blinked. "What's it like being that big?" Hideto paused, gathering his thoughts. "I have not gotten used to it yet. Every time I think I am used to my new height, I grow, and then my vision is thrown off." He stroked her hair with his finger, sadness creeping into his eyes. "And you keep getting smaller."

Kris closed her eyes and nuzzled her head into his finger. "I know… I must look like a little doll to you. Or perhaps even smaller than that." Hideto nodded, taking his finger away. "Kris… I…" he paused, his eyes set upon her.

He gently took her hand in his finger and held it tightly. She gazed up at him in curiousity.

"Hideto?"

"No matter what happens… I will always love you."

Kris stared at him, her mouth going dry. "Hideto… Hideto what's wrong?" she ran to his chest, stroking his abs and kissing his flesh. "What's wrong Hideto?"

He was scared. Scared out of his mind. He never wanted to be big and burly like every other man he had ever known. He was just happy being the way that he was. Now that he was larger than everything else… he didn't know what to do. He couldn't touch anything without breaking it, and he couldn't get the fear out of his heart.

"I…" he spoke to her in Japanese. "Kris, I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen to me… and I don't want to get any bigger than I already am." He sighed and felt her body, his finger running down her back.

She spoke back to him, in her own tongue. "Hideto, I understand that… but everything will be alright. Trust me. House is going to help you, and he's going to be the one to reverse this."

"But what happens if he fails? What will happen to me? How big will I get? When will it stop?"  
Kris sensed fear in Hideto's voice, and she knew, like he had said, he was scared. But what could she do for him? She swallowed and massaged his abs, sending shivers down his spine.

"Hideto… as long as we're together… nothing else matters…" she paused and then turned red, embarrassed at what she was about to say next. "And… I think you look…" she whispered something to him, but he couldn't hear it.

"What did you say?" he asked, leaning down to her. Kris gazed up at him and smiled. "You look like a God."

He flinched, letting the words sink in. Kris nodded, her heart pounding with joy. "You're my God… and you'll always protect me… and I love you… I love you…"

Hideto's eyes softened as he picked up his little girl, nuzzling her stomach with his nose. "I love you too." He replied, kissing her chest. Kris moaned a bit, and rubbed his cheek. "You sure you should be doing that in here?"

Hideto laughed and set her back down, keeping his hands to himself. Kris laughed as well, hugging his chest. "I can't imagine a day without you…"

"Why the hell is she back there?" Chase cried. "If he's gonna grow soon, we gotta get her outta there!"

"There's no use in screaming about it. She did what she did, nothing we can do about it now." Cameron replied, gazing out the window. They all knew that Kris was going to stow away with her love, whether they had held her back or not. She was unstoppable.

Chase pounded his hand against the dashboard, knocking the bobblehead clear off. "You don't get it!" he said in fury. "He's not gonna get bigger by a little bit, he's gonna double in size!"  
Cameron froze, his words sinking into her. "What do you mean?" Chase sighed and spoke, calm returning. "He's fifty feet tall now, right? Every growth he's ever had has made him double in size. So, take fifty and multiply by two."

"That's one hundred."

"That's almost thirty four meters high…" Foreman replied, his hand coming up to his lips. He shook his head as his eyes widened. "This is bad…"

"No, ya think?" Chase roared. "He's gonna keep getting bigger until he either outgrows everything, or his skin explodes like House predicted!"

"We don't know that."

"Yes we do! The skin can only stretch so far before the cells can't multiply anymore, and they're exposed to too many conditions. Homeostasis is unreachable! They'll collapse under their own pressure!"

"CHASE!"

Chase quieted down when Cameron yelled. She was just as furious as he was, but she kept her cool. In the truck full of men, both women had to be strong. For them.

"Now listen, we know what's predicted, but we also know that he's a medical mystery, don't forget that."

"What does that mean?"

"It means." Foreman interjected. "That we have a chance." Chase licked his lips and nodded his head, his fury dying. "We have a chance…" he sighed and gazed out the window at the passing cars. He silently fingered the box in his pocket.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and they were almost there. They were on the verge of being there, they just had to make a turn left and they were there. The only problem was traffic.  
Foreman glanced at his watch. "We got five minutes." Chase cussed under his breath and held his composure. They weren't going down. Not yet.

Cameron looked around. The cars were all around them, and converging into one single lane. "What's going on?"

Foreman looked on ahead and nearly exploded. "They're doing checks. Manual. Checks."

Hideto sat there silently, his love upon his shoulder and his eyes gazing out the little holes in the crate. Kris was keeping herself busy by braiding some of his rope like hair. "Your hair is so soft Hide." She commented, braiding it into a nice little rope.

He smiled as he turned his head. "You think so?" he spoke English now, his tension gone. She nodded and loosened his hair. "I think you should let me braid your hair more often."

He chuckled. "I do not think my hair would be long enough if I were normal size." Kris sighed and let his hair loose. "I guess. I could try though!" she laughed and kissed his cheek, rubbing her body up against him.

The giant looked at her through the corner of his eye. "You told me this was not the place for this." He said smiling. Kris shoved her bosom in his mouth as a reply. She giggled. "So?"

Hideto could feel the tiny orbs in his mouth and couldn't resist. He licked at them, Kris moaning in pleasure as he did so. "Hideto…" she pressed closer to him, her hands rubbing against his cheek.

He smiled and kissed her bosom, his tongue sliding down her shirt to lick her bare flesh. Kris gripped onto his face, her nails digging into his skin. It felt like little tinglings. Hideto's hand came up and began to caress her bottom, his finger feeling the little curve of her butt.

It was then that he had the urge. He stopped, his eyes widening. Kris gazed up at the frozen Hideto in confusion. "Hideto?" she asked, leaning in. He shook his head as the feeling overcame him. "No… no…"

He quickly extended his hand towards her. "Kris, get on." He said urgently. Kris didn't reply but did as she was told, her body jumping onto his hand. He pressed her close to his chest, keeping her safe.

"Hideto… do you feel it?" the giant gazed down at her, his eyes filled with fright. "Yes… Yes I do."

Foreman glanced at his watch again. "We got three minutes." Chase was nearly jumping out of his seat. "God freakin-" he cussed under his breath again, his face red and his heart pumping. Cameron was also getting ansy. "What happens if he goes now?"

"We hope for the best."

All of them were waiting in line, and they were next for the check in the police lane. "Act cool."  
One of the officers came up to the window as they pulled up. "Little early for a shipment, don't you think?"

Foreman raised his eyebrow. "Little early for a check, don't you think?" the officer grimaced and swallowed his remark. He went around to the other side to see Chase's angry face.

"What you got in the back?" the officer asked, taking a look at the truck. "Oh you know, food." Chase replied.

Hideto tried his best not to make a sound, but it was hard considering he was getting larger every second. His shoulders were getting too wide for the narrow space, and slowly bent the metal that was the truck.

Kris was in his hand, cowering at the noise of the metal bending. Hideto gazed down at her softly. "It's alright." He said in Japanese. "You'll be okay. I won't let you get hurt."

She looked up at him, and smiled. She nodded. "I trust you Hide." Hideto sighed and folded her back up into his palm, his heart racing. He could feel his muscles stretching and his bones cracking. He was getting even larger.

"Food you say?" the officer looked at the truck, which was slowly giving way to Hideto's growing body. "What kinda food bends the metal like that?"

Chase stuck his head farther out the window and saw the side of the truck expanding. "Oh Jesus…" he began to shove Cameron and Foreman out the door. "Go, go, go!"

His body was pushing and pushing, his shorts now breaking off to reveal his nicely cut body. "Hideto!" he looked back down at his diminishing girlfriend, her eyes glued to him. "Hideto…"  
She was scared, and it wasn't because of him. She was scared she was going to get crushed by the metal. He shook his head. "Just stay in my hand. Everything will be okay."

Hideto could feel himself get even larger as his head bent the ceiling and his knees coming up against his chin. He was running out of room, and time. His muscular body was too much for the wheels to handle as well. They were beginning to sink under his weight.

All of the doctors leapt out of the truck and ran towards the forming crowd. They had seen the metal bend at Hideto's strength, and they were watching as it bent further, his body increasing in size every minute. "Oh God…"

Chase whispered to Foreman urgently. "We gotta do something! They'll arrest him if they see him!"

Foreman shook his head. "Nothing we can do… we just gotta wait…" Cameron turned her head to them, her mind thinking. "Won't he be naked?" she asked, glancing at them. Chase stopped his pacing. "What?"

"Get the tarp from the vendors."

Foreman rushed over to one of the vendors in the street that had a tarp over their market. The Hispanic began to curse at him in Spanish, hoping to throw him off. Foreman ignored the man as he began to take down the tarp.

"Hey, hey, hey!" the policeman ran over to him and attempted to clobber him with his stick. Foreman fought him off, taking his wrist and twisting it. "C'mon!" Chase and Cameron ran over and subdued the policeman. More police came as they fought off the one man, and they hurried to get the tarp off of the vendor's market.

"Kris… hold on!"

It was a thundering bending of metal that made them all stop their movements. Something large and brown had burst through the roof of the truck, while the wheels exploded.

"What in the name of…" the sirens were silenced as the police watched the epic unfold. They were mesmerized by the sudden appearance of Hideto's head.

Slowly, his shoulders burst through the metal as well, and his legs pushed through the side of the truck, the metal flying into nearby houses and causing people to run in all directions. The massive body was getting even larger, and there was no stopping it.

Everyone stood and watched in shock as Hideto's chest came up through the metal and his legs expanded, pushing all the cars out of the streets and shoving them into the sidewalks.

Hideto slowly opened his hand to reveal his tiny girlfriend. "Kris, get on." He said softly, holding her to his shoulder. Kris quickly climbed on, holding onto his neck for support.  
With one push, he shoved the rest of the metal apart, tearing it in half and throwing it to the side. He glanced around at the metal before him, and stood up upon his feet, examining the people below him. He crossed his legs and put his hands over his crotch, feeling himself exposed.  
"Hideto!"

His head turned towards a tiny voice that called out to him. "Over here!" the massive Hideto reached down and plucked the tarp off the ground, wrapping it around himself.

Chase swallowed as he watched the giant cover himself, and realized how big he was. "I was right…" Hideto cleared all the buildings around him, and his head reached far up into the sky. Kris was but a mere shadow upon his massive shoulder.

The people who were crowding around were now backing up and running in all directions, screaming and shouting their heads off. Chase knew the situation was getting out of hand, and he had to do something to prevent this from going any further.

The police were too shocked to do much of anything to the giant, nonetheless give out orders. They stood back as far as they could from the giant, some of them pointing their guns up at him while others stood in stock fear.

Hideto got down upon his knees, his new size seeming not to be a problem for him. "Which way now?" he was eager to get to the hospital, and he wanted it done and over with.

"Monster!" the police cried, aiming more of their guns. Hideto swallowed. "We have to make a diversion…"

Out of nowhere, a red car sped by Hideto's feet, nearly running over Cameron in the process. Chase stuck his head out as he drove by, shouting to Hideto. "I got this!"

Hideto smiled as he watched his friend pass by, cutting off most of the police cars in their way. Foreman and Cameron looked up at the giant, their eyes confused on what to do next.

The police were diverted by the crazy driver in the red car, and it seemed as if Chase was actually having fun with this. The men in the blue uniforms didn't know where to go from here. They weren't sure whether or not to go after the giant that was squatting in front of them, or after the red car that had just crushed a few of theirs. The decision was confusing.

"Quickly." Hideto opened his hand up to the two doctors in front of him. "Get on. We do not have much time." Cameron and Foreman stepped back from the immense hand placed out in front of them, their fears taking form.

Kris slid down from Hideto's shoulder and shook her head. "Both of you have to get on, it's our only chance from this point on!" she urged. Cameron stared at her. "If you think I'm getting on him, you're out of your mind!"

Foreman sighed and walked over to the flesh, stepping up upon it and sitting down. He glanced over at Cameron, who had her mouth open and her eyes wide. He shrugged and patted the flesh. "It's comfy."

Cameron stepped backwards more as she saw Hideto lift Foreman to his shoulder. The black man gripped the shoulder and slung himself over it, sitting down comfortably. "Better get up here fast. We don't have much time."

Kris was placed back up upon Hideto's other shoulder, and Hideto was still holding his palm out for Cameron. "Please, this is our only way."

"No! No I refuse to get on you!" she stepped backwards and folded her arms. "And you're not going to make me!"

Hideto frowned and sighed. "I am sorry." Cameron glared up at him and unfolded her arms, bracing herself. "Don't you even think about it!"

Foreman grinned and Kris stifled a laugh. "It's the only way!" Kris shouted from his shoulder.  
"No! Don't you even- AAAHH!" Hideto quickly scooped up Cameron in his hand, the tiny doctor screaming as she was lifted upwards. "Put me down!"

Hideto shook his head. "I am sorry, but we have to go." Cameron leaned over the edge of his hand. "I'll jump!"

"I do not think you want to do that." He stood up and raised Cameron to his face. "You would die." He said flatly.

Cameron growled at him, and then turned her head to see the drop below her. Her face paled as she realized just how high she was. Her body trembled and shook the view below her so far down that it made her sick just thinking about it. There was no way she was going to jump. Not in a million years.

Hideto held her steady as he looked at Foreman for support. The black man pointed over to his left. "That way, hurry!"

The giant nodded and began his walk through the city, avoiding the cars and the people below him. His body was enormous, standing at a full and complete one hundred feet.

Foreman glanced over at Kris, who was riding upon Hideto's shoulder as if she had done it her entire life. "Kristiana?" she turned to him, the giant seeming not to hear them. "Yes?"

"Are you hurt?"

Kris smiled at him as she hid the blood that dripped down her arm. She grimaced at the pain, but kept her eyes steady. "I'll be fine."


	22. Chapter 22

As he walked, Hideto made sure to be careful. He had never known how fragile everything was if it had not been for his change in size. The cars folded easily like tinfoil, the buildings crumbled like bread, and the concrete streets bent under his weight. It was like walking on a cloud, everything was breakable and so very light.

Foreman gripped the giant's shoulder tightly, while eyeing the girl on the giant's other shoulder. She hadn't said a word, but was covering up the blood that was dripping down her arm more rapidly. It wouldn't be long before she would have to cry out and ask for help. The blessing was, she was wearing black, and the blood was mixed in with the colors, hiding it from her love's view.

While those two were riding his shoulder, Hideto kept a steady hand on the fussy Cameron, who was struggling not to throw up. It was all she could do. Seeing him so big like this, she couldn't trust him, not in a lifetime. Hideto occasionally glanced at her, but kept his palm open so she could sit comfortably. She looked over his palm again and nearly fell over.

"Stop doing that." Cameron frightfully flicked her head towards the booming voice. Hideto was gazing down at her softly. "You are going to fall off and hurt yourself. Please stop doing that, you are making me nervous." He said gently.

Cameron swallowed hard and licked her lips. She would do as he said, but merely because he was in control of her. If it were her decision, she would still be in her bed, and not involved in this situation. She needed to get away from all this nonsense.

It was then that they heard the sirens coming towards them again. Hideto paused, putting his foot down softly upon the street, avoiding three cars and a few pedestrians. Kris growled from his shoulder. "Better put a speed up." She said to him. Hideto nodded and looked behind him. What he saw nearly made his heart stop.

Not only did the police have their cars and officers, but now the army was involved. He could hear the helicopters and see the tanks coming towards them. He swallowed hard.

"What do we do?" he asked Kris nervously. Kris smiled at him. "Give them the slip. It always works." He nodded again, breathing in silently. Foreman glanced at him. "The hospital is just three blocks away. We can make it if you run." Hideto eyed him nervously. "Run?"

"Run!"

Kris's shout was overcast by the missiles flying past Hideto's head. He ducked quickly, causing everyone to scream out in surprise. He followed the path of the missiles as they landed behind him, exploding a few buildings and sending out a blast that caused him to flinch.

She didn't have to say so twice. Hideto took off at full speed towards the hospital, the only grey glass building that he saw in the distance. Hopefully, he would get there in time for them to operate on him.

"Where is he?" House clicked his tongue and growled. "He should have been here by now!" Hadley was biting her lip and pacing back and forth. The hospital was quiet, and all the preperations were made for Hideto. They were just waiting for HIM. But what was taking him?  
It was Taub who first said something about the situation. "It could be possible he went through another growth spurt…" House glared at him. "Oh and I suppose you think that what you just said helped?" Taub closed his mouth and glanced away. House sighed and turned his head towards the window, walking towards it. It was bright and sunny that day, but it was freezing cold in the rooms. He sighed. Hideto, where the hell are you?

He slowed down finally, losing the military in the midst of the city. He ducked low and covered his head behind the buildings. He came upon the hospital and bent down softly, peering into the window. A little man stood on one of the floors. A bright smile spread across his face. "House!"  
House was nearly thrown back by the mere force of his voice alone. He stumbled upon his cane and glared at him. "Could you BE any louder?" Hideto chuckled and shook his head, whispering a 'sorry' to him. House shook his head, but in truth, he couldn't have been happier.

"Hang on a second." House said. Hideto nodded, and as House looked around, he saw both Foreman and Kris waving from Hideto's shoulders. House noticed the specks of red upon Kris's blouse, but said nothing about it. He knew better than to open up THAT can of worms.  
"Hey, Taub, get your lazy butt over here and open this window." Taub got up off of the couch in the room, and with a little help from Hadley, got the window open. Hideto reached into the window, and placed Cameron down upon the floor, the woman falling to her knees and practically kissing the ground. Hideto's fingers attempted to help her up, but she pushed him away. She brushed herself off, and stepped back from him, fear still in her eyes.

Hideto's eyes flashed a look of sadness before slipping in Foreman and Kris in the same manner. Hideto could speak to them now, the space of the window enough for him to converse with them at a reasonable tone.

When Kris was set down, she ran to Hadley, embracing her tightly and nearly knocking her over. It was joy that overcame her, and it was joy that spread into Hadley's bosom when she embraced her. "Remy, I'm so glad you're here!" she said, burying her head in the doctor's shoulder.  
Hadley smiled and patted the young girl's head. "It's alright now. We have a plan." House snorted. "What, and I don't get a hug?" Kris laughed and ran over to embrace him as well, the doctor giving one of his rare and special smiles.

Hideto smiled softly at the moment, and glanced at Hadley. "Thank you." He whispered, keeping his voice low. "For everything." The woman nodded at him, giving him the thumbs up sign.

The giant was about to speak again when his ears caught a sound. "Oh no…" he turned away from them to see the helicopters approaching and the tanks coming again. He cursed in Japanese.  
Kris paused before speaking. "What do we do about them? They won't stop until he's…" House breathed in and spoke to Hideto. "Hey!"

Hideto bent back down and looked at him. "Yes?" he asked, his eyes locked on him. House tilted his head a bit, thinking. "They don't have a problem shooting at you, do they?" Hideto shook his head. "Seems not." He replied. "And the tanks are coming by land right?" Hideto nodded, turning his head a bit. "What are you…" then he paused, smiling. "Alright."

The giant stood back up, and turned his back to them, a smile on his face. Kris glanced at House. "What just happened?" House shrugged. "I have no idea. I just asked him a few questions."

"Sir we have a lock on the subject."  
"Position thirty by twenty, coordinates locked and set."  
"Missiles are go."

The pilot aimed his machine towards the looming figure, the gigantic Hideto standing there patiently, waiting for them to come. He knew what he was doing.

"Approaching…"  
"Thirty five and closing!"

The copilot swallowed as his fingers gripped the missile button. "Ready… set…" the pilot aimed his chopper closer, nearly upon the giant.

And that was when he struck.

Before they had time to react, Hideto had reached out and grabbed them, holding them firmly in his hand. "What the-!" the pilot panicked, sending the blades of the chopper spinning frantically, hoping to relieve themselves of the grip.

Hideto was calm and steady, reaching in with the other hand and gently tugging the top blades off, and crushing them in his grip. Both men in the machine screamed and ducked, their bodies trembling.

One of the men dared to peek over the seat and was greeting by an eye the size of the entire windshield. He nearly choked.

They were so small, so tiny. Hideto was amazed at what power he had over them. Softly, the upturned the chopper, the two men falling into his right palm harmlessly. With his left hand, he crushed the chopper into nothing but scrap metal, letting it fall to the ground.

He raised the men to his face, gazing at them. They both scrambled to the edge of his palm, their eyes filled with fright and their bodies visibly trembling in his grip. "Please… don't eat us!" one of them cried.

Hideto stared at them, his eyes soft. Both of them fit in his palm safely, and he was surprised at their immediate mercy begging. He shook his head, bending down carefully. The men screamed again, holding onto his fingers and closing their eyes, waiting for doom.

"Go on." The booming voice spoke to them, but instead of being demanding and heavy, it was light and friendly. The pilot of the machine looked up, and was greeting with gentle eyes. "You are free. Go on." Hideto repeated, holding his hand to the ground steadily.

The man swallowed and gazed up at him in wonder. "He's… lettin' us go?" he asked the other man. His friend shook his head and jumped off. "I'm not askin' any questions!" he shouted. The pilot blinked and gazed back up at the giant, who was still waiting for him.

This was no monster. This was nothing like what the commander had described. This… this giant wasn't going to harm them at all. The man stepped down gently, and as Hideto's hand pulled away, he shouted up at him. "Hey!"

Hideto paused. "Yes?" he asked. The man paused before speaking, his eyes looking up at the giant again, wonder filling his eyes. "Thanks."

The giant smiled at him and shook his head, rising back up to his full height and stepping over them lightly, chuckling in the distance. "He let us go." The man said. His friend ran over to him and nodded, confused as well. "Should we tell the boss?" he asked. The pilot snorted heavily.

"That's it? All this commotion over that?" Kris cried, her arms waving frantically back and forth. House put a hand on her shoulder. "It could be much bigger than we imagined, and it's growing every second." Kris sighed again and shook her head. They had discussed Hideto's growth, and had come to the conclusion of a tumor in his brain.

"If our suspicions are correct, then the tumor should be radioactive, making the pituitary gland hyperactive, and sending out growth signals to all of the cells in his body, making them multiply faster and more than they need to." Foreman added in, his arms crossed as usual.

"If we remove the tumor, then everything will be solved." Taub chimed in, feeling the need to be useful.

"But that's it? Why didn't we take a CAT scan or something?" she shouted, glaring at them.  
"By the time Hideto was due for one, we couldn't possibly fit him into the scanning machine." Hadley replied, trying to calm the raging girl. "He had become much too big to diagnose from that angle."

"But if House is correct…" Taub began, "Then he should shrink back to normal in a matter of days."

Kris breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes resting upon Cameron, who hadn't said a word. She gazed at her, the woman avoiding her eyes. "Cameron…" she began, walking over to her. Cameron turned her head and bit her lip, her hand coming up to her face.

The young girl tilted her head. "No matter what you think, Hideto will never hurt you." The doctor turned her head again, but this time, to look the girl in the eyes. Kris nodded. "He'll never hurt you. And even when he picked you up, it was for your own good. You would still be back there, trying to figure out what to do if it hadn't been for him."

She had a point. If it wasn't for Hideto, Cameron would probably still be back there, trying to avoid all the police and military. She remained silent, her mind wandering. "I don't care what you think." Kris said defensively. "Hideto would never hurt anyone. Not ever." She turned away, her heart set and her eyes raging. "We have to move fast."

He had done all he could. He had punched through the ground, disabling the ground forces, and had taken down every air force that he had come in contact with. All of the pilots had been set free, and each one of them had thanked him, for his kind heart. Hideto knew that in order to gain kindness, it had to be given first.

"Hideto!" his head turned to see the love of his life running out of the building, standing at his feet. "Kris!" he bent down quickly and got on his knees, crouching down to talk to her. "What are you doing?" he asked, worry across his face.

Kris looked up at him. "I'm alright Hideto, but we need you to come with us." Hideto gazed at her steadily. "What is going to happen?" he asked.

"They're going to operate on you, they say you have a tumor." She replied, holding his gaze. "It'll be alright. I'm here." Hideto bit his lip, but nodded. "Alright." He said, his heart fluttering.  
"Stop right there!"

Hideto turned his head towards the tiny voice, and saw one policeman, his gun aimed at him. The man was shaking obviously, but his gun was aimed. Hideto growled, but felt a small hand upon his finger.

"He means no harm, please don't shoot." Kris spoke, walking towards the man. The policeman took a step forward, clicking his gun. "Stop! Hands on the ground!"

"Please, you don't have to do this!"

The rest of the doctors had come out, hearing the commotion. House glared at Kris, as well as Hadley. "Do as he says!" they shouted forcefully.

Kris glanced back at them, but made no move. "Hideto means no harm. Put down your gun!" she pleaded, speaking from her heart. "He won't hurt you! Just don't shoot!"  
"Hands on the ground I said!"  
"Put down the gun!"  
At that moment, a shot rang out, and everything seemed to fall silent. Hideto's eyes widened. House took a step back, while Hadley gasped in terror.

Kris lifted her hand, and saw the bullethole, straight through her side. Without warning, she collapsed. Her head hit the concrete hard, and her body sprawled blood all over the street.  
Hadley rushed to her side, while House and the others tended to her wounds. Hideto watched as the tiny doctors set to work on her, and his heart hardened. His fingers brushed over Kris's body, the blood staining his fingertips. Slowly, his eyes dilated into a furious rage.

He was mad.

Before anybody could move, the policeman was thrown over the horizon, landing somewhere in the next state. Hadley looked up in horror to see an enraged Hideto growled and panting with rage. He screamed aloud, his voice breaking and shattering every glass in a single mile radius.  
"Jesus shit!" House screamed, as he dragged Kristiana to the corner of the street and into the hospital. Taub followed House and carried the half bleeding girl in, while Foreman and Hadley attempted to go after the raging giant.

Things were looking bad.

He was uncontrollable; his rage got the better of him. After all he had been through, how dare they. How DARE they shoot her! How DARE set a finger on her! She did nothing to deserve that.

The tanks were approaching him at full speed now, Hideto having stepped out of the safe area that he had created. He wanted to fight.

"Get it!" the commander screamed, the tanks aiming their guns. Hideto growled and bent down, smashing the first few with his fist and sending them plummeting into the buildings next to him. "Open fire!"

They were no match for him. The gigantic hands came down faster than they could press their buttons. The tanks flew everywhere, exploding at his touch and sending buildings down like you wouldn't believe. There WAS one up side to this though, all the buildings that he was destroying were merely construction buildings, so no real harm was done. But still, seeing that display of strength was enough for anyone to turn and run.

The men abandoned their vehicles and ran for their lives, running about like ants. Hideto growled down at them, pounding on the ground, hoping to catch one in his hand. They screamed and ran from him, some of them falling and crawling under cars, some running until they could run no more and others merely screaming and ducking in fright.

Then his eyes caught something. The same officer who had challenged him before. He was in the line of fire. "You!" Hideto's voice boomed over the city like thunder. The man immediately ran, hoping to escape the giant's grasp.

Unfortunately, Hideto was too fast, and picked him up by the edge of his shirt, dangling him in the air. Hideto bought him to his face, growling at him. "You were the man back at the garage!"  
The man screamed and pleaded, kicking like a little baby. "Yes! Yes! Just put me down! Don't eat me!"

Hideto growled again, opening his mouth and exposing his fangs at the man, rage in his eyes. "You hurt her… you hurt you scum!" he snarled, glaring at the man. "How dare you hurt my love? The one woman who I cherish and adore above all else!" he was about to growl again when a tiny voice stopped him.

"Hideto!" the giant gazed down, and saw a tiny red car by his feet. He growled down at it, and crouched down, holding the man firmly in his hand.

Chase ran out, waving his arms and screaming up at him. "What the hell are you doing?" he shouted frantically. Hideto snorted, glaring. "I am about to make a meal of this man!" he said back, licking his lips and breathing heavily.

"Look at yourself! Hideto! Do you realize what you're doing?" Chase shouted. The car was parked neatly, and it seemed as if the distraction with the police had worked, as Hideto was able to get to the hospital in one piece.

Hideto paused for a moment, and gazed down at Chase. "What are you saying?" he asked. Chase shook his head. "You're about to eat a man!" he pointed towards the frightened man in Hideto's hand. "Don't you realize what you're doing? This isn't you!"

A look of confusion passed over Hideto's face. He shook his head. "Wait, but… they… they hurt-"

"I understand that, but this isn't what you want to do!"

"He's right!" Hadley and Foreman spoke from behind Chase, getting out of the red car themselves. Chase had picked them up on the way to stop the rampaging Hideto. The giant gazed at them all, confusion in his eyes.

"What… what…" he looked around him, the tanks all demolished and the scene bloody. His eyes passed over the machines, and the people looking at him.

It hit him, and it hit him hard.

"I…" he took a breath, his rage dying down and his heart stopping. He could feel the man wriggle in his grasp, and Hideto opened his palm up. The man sat there, gazing up at him in fear. Hideto sighed heavily, and softly placed the man upon the ground, ushering him away with his finger.

He looked at the rest of the doctors, and his heart began to pound. "I… did all this?" he asked weakly.

Hadley nodded at him, sighing heavily. "Hideto…" Hideto shook his head, hiding his eyes. "I became what I did not want to become…" he said, his body shaking.

"Oh no…" Chase ran to him, putting a hand on him. "Hideto! Hideto listen to me!" Hideto was shaking, and his head was in his hands. "Chase… Hadley… what have I done?"

The fear, the anger, then anguish, the rage, and the sadness all came to life. His heart could take it no more.

And it burst.

Hideto began to cry, his shoulders sagging and his body wrenching over. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he said in Japanese. "I was just scared… I got scared…" he added, his sobs getting the better of him.

Chase sighed and gazed up at him. "Hey… Hideto." Hideto shook his head. "Leave me alone." He replied, his tears falling into his hands.

"Hideto, please listen." Hideto glanced up to see Hadley standing there, gazing at him gently. She shook her head. "You were angry, enraged, and that was what made you do those things. We understand. But… don't beat yourself up over it. No one was hurt Hideto. Nobody."

At her words, Hideto lifted his head and saw all the people he had scared off. They had come from everywhere, and they were surrounding the scene. They were gazing at him, none of them hurt. He stared back at them, his eyes filled with tears. "I…"

"Hey, right now, Kris needs you." Hideto snapped back to reality when Foreman spoke. Everyone was looking at him, and he felt their energy. They had realized that he didn't hurt anyone, and that he acted out of anger, and fear. They realized that he was no monster. And he couldn't ask for anything more.

Hideto wiped his tears, his heart pounding madly. "You are right." He said, speaking English once again. "Kristiana… she needs me." he said strongly, holding his hand out for them. "Get on. We have to go see her."

"Hideto… Hideto is he… is he alright?" she gasped, the pain in her side still there. House pushed her back down to the ground, forcing her to sit. "You should sit you know," he patted her stomach. "The baby won't like pressure." Kris smiled up at him, her bullet wound covered and healing. "Thank you House."

House smiled at her, turning his back to her and looking out. Taub held the syringes, and the gloves. He glanced over at Kris. "You're having a baby?" he asked, smiling. Kris nodded to him, her smile bright. "Our first."

The syringes were ready, and the gas was set to go. All they needed now, was the patient. "It'll be over soon…" House whispered. "All over soon."

He set them down carefully, each one of them climbing off his palm and onto the ground below, greeting Kris and the doctors gratefully. Kris gazed up at her love, a smile upon her face. "Hideto. I'm alright." He nodded, looking down at her in love.

She was alright, and he had acted out of rage. He would definitely have to confide in her after this. She gazed up at him, wanting to take a hold of his hand.

He led his hand to her softly, and allowed her to caress it gently with her head, her hair softly brushing against his skin. They were in the back of the hospital, the only place where Hideto could fit without having to cram. It was grassy and nice back there, a perfect spot to perform an operation of all sorts.

They had told him to lie down carefully, and when he did, he could see the others with ease. The doctors who had helped him, the doctors who had cared for him.

After his crying ordeal, they had helped him to recover, comforting him with words that only they would speak, and letting the people know he would never hurt them. It was more than he could ever ask.

He glanced at Kris nervously, his body shaking with fear. She held out a hand to him, the hand caressing his cheek lovingly and sending him comforting chills that made his eyes soften. "I am ready."

House pulled on his glove and glanced at Hideto. "The recovery process may take a few days, but you'll get back to your normal size soon enough." He said, taking a step forward. He then smiled and whispered in Hideto's ear, much like a small buzzing sound. "And you'll be in for more than just a surprise on your way out!"

Hideto gazed at him curiously, and Kris sat on his hand. "It's alright Hide. Just relax."

Hadley stood behind her, smiling softly at him. "Hadley…" he said, ushering her closer. She came to him, staring into his orb like eyes. "Thank you Hadley. Thank you." Hadley shook her head and replied. "No, I don't need any thanks. You two…" she gazed at Kris as well. "Reminded me of what it was like to feel loved."

Chase coughed a bit, reminding everyone that he was still there. Hideto smiled. "Chase, you are to be thanked as well." Chase smiled and came closer to him, showing him the box. "Whenever you're ready buddy." Hideto nodded weakly. "My right hand man."

Kris stared at both of them in curiosity. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked, tilting her head. Hideto smiled and shook his head. "Nothing." He replied.

As Chase walked away, Hideto could see Cameron and Taub approaching him as well as Foreman. Each one of them said their thanks, and when Cameron came, she was biting her lip. "I uh…" she stammered. "I well…"

Hideto smiled at her gently. "I understand." That was all she needed to hear. Cameron breathed a sigh of relief, and walked away, but not before glancing over her shoulder one more time at the giant.

"Alright, inject him." Hideto could hear House's voice from behind him, the little scalpel already into his neck. "Kris…" the girl was upon his hand, and she leaned in towards his lips, kissing them. "It's going to be alright Hideto. I promise."

He smiled at her warmly, his eyes slowly closing. "Injected." Taub said, holding the syringe in his hand. Hideto breathed out heavily, and his eyes drooped.

The memories he had made, the friends he had made, everything that had happened in these past few days would both haunt him, and enlighten him for days to come. They had been kind, compassionate, and they had accepted him.

Some people, knew the right words, while others, knew the right actions. Others stood out from the rest, while the rest, supported in the back.

And yet there was one doctor who he would be eternally grateful for, and would always be thankful for. He would never forget him. Ever.

"Thank you."


	23. Epilogue

Epilogue

They had come again, to the place where the first miracle happened. They had met the doctor who would change their lives, and would forever make an impression on them. Hideto was especially excited, seeing as he and House were in contact almost all the time.

Chase had indeed been Hideto's right hand man in his wedding, while Chase ended up asking Cameron to marry him. Both girls had said yes.

Foreman retired as a doctor and started a business in the mechanical world, fixing and staring parts for cars and the such. He was happy there, and he couldn't really ask for anything more.  
Taub kept his job in the Diagnostic Team, although rumors surround him and his research on tumor patients.

Hadley still worked in the hospital, as well as House, both still a part of the Diagnostic Team, and a big part of the staff. Without them, the hospital couldn't function. They were needed.

The incident had happened only three months ago, but it was still fresh in all of their memories. Hideto had eventually shrunk back down to his normal size, having found out the tumor was just pressing against his glands, being radioactive from the time he had on stage.

Kris had then refused to let him anywhere near a microwave.

And now they were back, the two of them were going to pay a visit to those who had helped them so much during their time of need, their time of help, and for that, they had to be repaid.  
This was the only way they knew how.

"Slow down!"  
"No running!"

House lifted his head. Oh God another one? He slipped his hand into his pocket and drew out his watch. It was only ten… what the hell.

Slowly, he got up and off his rump, sliding his rolling chair back from the desk. "Who is it and what do you want? I'm on break." He called through his office, his voice echoing through the glass walls.

"Are you always?" House paused, and then turned to see a familiar face greet him. He smiled.  
"Welcome back."

The Asian man stepped inside, looking about House's office. "Looks a lot bigger when I am this size." He commented, fingering the furniture.

"How's the recovery?"

"Six feet tall and stable." He replied, smiling back at him. House shook his head and sighed. "Ah, you always were a strange one." He added, sitting back down.  
"You did not say hi House."

House glanced up from his workplace and paused, his eyes curious. "I thought I said hello when you-"

"Not you."

A small child wandered in through the doorway, gazing up at his father. Hideto smiled. "Hey." He picked up the small boy, holding him in his arms. "Say hi House!"

"She is adorable!" Remy commented, taking the girl's finger. "Isn't she?" Kris asked, smiling. "Only three minutes before her brother!" she added, cooing the baby. It was certainly a surprise to have twins, but they couldn't be happier.

"What did House think when you told him about the other baby?" Hadley asked, taking the baby from Kris and holding her. Kris giggled her natural giggle, her eyes happy and smiling. "I don't know," she said, taking the baby's finger. The precious little brown eyes gazed into hers, and smiled. "What do you think… Remy?"


End file.
